Older adults and middle-aged adults are more at risk of developing cancer, and dying from the deadly disease in India, according to a study led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The study published in ‘The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia’ journal showed that the elderly (aged 70 years and above) had the highest risk of developing cancer—more than 10 per cent –, and dying from it — 7.7 per cent.
The risk of middle-aged (15-49 years) developing cancer is 8.3 per cent, while their odds of dying from the disease is 5.5 per cent.
The researchers emphasised the need to increase targeted interventions and strategies “to tackle the escalating cancer burden in India, with about 70 per cent of cases and deaths occurring in the middle- and older-age groups”, the team said.
The ICMR researchers also projected that in the coming two decades, India will face a formidable challenge in managing deaths related to cancer incidence, with a yearly increase of two per cent in cases as the population ages.
Using the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2022 and Global Health Observatory (GHO) databases, the team examined trends in 36 types of cancer across age groups and genders in India over the past 20 years.
Notably, it showed that three in every five people in India are likely to succumb to cancer following diagnosis.
The findings also revealed that the five most common cancers affecting both genders collectively account for 44 per cent of the cancer burden in India.
However, women in India were found to bear a “disproportionate burden”, as breast cancer continues to be the most prevalent cancer. Breast cancer contributes to 13.8 per cent of new cases from both genders followed by cervical cancer (9.2 per cent).
