Patiala, January 9
On Friday, leading oncologists from Park Hospital shared critical insights on the rising cancer burden in India. The experts included Dr. Sandeep Kakkar, Director – Medical Oncology; Dr. Harinderpal Singh, Director – Medical Oncology; Dr. Vijay Jagad, Senior Consultant – Surgical Oncology; Dr. Jobanjeet Kaur, Consultant – Radiation Oncology; and Dr. Arnav Tiwari, Consultant – Radiation Oncology.
Dr. Sandeep Kakkar, Director – Medical Oncology, stated: “In India, approximately 15.6 lakh new cancer cases are reported annually, with around 30 lakh people currently living with the disease. Cancer claims about 8.7 lakh lives every year. Breast cancer and cervical cancer remain the most common cancers among women, while lung and liver cancers are the most prevalent among Indian men.
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A few decades ago, breast cancer was predominantly seen in women over 50 years of age, with 65–70% of cases occurring in this age group and only 30–35% in women under 50. Tragically, the disease is now increasingly common in younger women, and more than 70% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage — a major reason for the high mortality rate.”
Dr. Harinderpal Singh, Director – Medical Oncology at Park Hospital, emphasized that lifestyle changes can prevent up to one-third of all cancers. He highlighted that regular breast self-examination and mammography are effective tools for detecting breast cancer at an early stage, while simple chest X-rays can help identify lung cancer in its initial phases.
Park Hospital is the largest super-specialty hospital network in North India, comprising 19 hospitals, 3,500 beds, 800 ICU beds, 14 cath labs, 45 modular operation theatres, and over 1,000 doctors.
Dr. Vijay Jagad, Senior Consultant – Surgical Oncology, noted that breast cancer has now overtaken cervical cancer to become the most common and deadliest cancer of the modern era among women. Globally, breast cancer affects 2.1 million women every year, and in India, around 2.20 lakh new cases are reported annually.
Dr. Jobanjeet Kaur, Consultant – Radiation Oncology, pointed out that the number of new cancer cases is expected to rise by 12–18% by 2026 compared to 2020.
Dr. Arnav Tiwari, Consultant – Radiation Oncology, highlighted that oral cancer has the highest incidence in India, with about 1.75 lakh new cases reported every year. Alarmingly, tobacco and gutka are responsible for 90% of oral cancer cases in the country.
