Lok Sabha Question No. 484 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-20
Subject: Breast Cancer among Young Women
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: BALASUBRAMANIAM SENGUTTUVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 484 TO BE ANSWERED ON  20 TH JULY, 2018

## BREAST CANCER AMONG YOUNG WOMEN

## 484. SHRI B. SENGUTTUVAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the recent reports in the media that the incid breast cancer has risen sharply amongst young women in India;
- (b) if so, the State - wise and UT - wise particulars relating to women below the age of 35 years during the last three years;
- (c) whether the Indian Council of Medical Research has confirmed that the incidence of cancer has gone up from 5 to 15 percent in young women in the age group of 20 - 40  years in India and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the changes in lifestyle, hormonal imbalance, body mass index and obesity a reasons for the high incidence of breast cancer, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the corrective steps which are contemplated by the Government to reduce the incidence breast cancer among young women?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

(a) to (c): According to the report 'Cal l for Action: Expanding cancer care for women in India ' published by FICCI flo & EY in 2017, in 2015 the reported incidence of cancer cases o breast (19%), cervix uteri (14%) and ovary (7%) contributed to 40% of all cancer incid among  women , with states  such  as  Kerala,  Tamil  Nadu  and  Delhi  having  the  highest  crud incidence for these cancers.

However,  the  ICMR - National  Cancer  Registry  Program  (NCRP)  data  as  per  National Centre  for  Disease  Informatics  and  Research  (NCDIR)  report  on  'Time Trends  in  Cancer Incidence Rates 1982 -2010'  does  not  show  statistically  significant  increase  in  Age  Adjusted Incidence Rate (AAR) for breast cancer amongst the young women (below 35) in Bangalore Bhopal,  Chennai  and  Delhi,  except  for  Mumbai  Population  Bas ed  Cancer  Registry  (PBCR), where age group 0 - 24 showed an increase in AARs over time.

As  per  the  NCDIR -NCRP  Report  on  'Three -year  Report  of  Population  Based  Cancer Registries:2012 -2014, Bengaluru, 2016', Breast Cancer does not show a statisticall y significant increase    among  25 - 34  age  group    in  AAR  over  time  whereas  among  35 - 44  age  group, significant  increase  (Annual  Percent  Change)  in  Bangalore  (1.86%),  Chennai  (1.30%)  a Mumbai (0.53%) is inferred.

(d) : Yes, the changes in lifestyle, hormona l imbalance, body mass index and obesity are also the reasons besides several others for breast cancer.

(e):  Central  Government  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  for  improv healthcare including prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Cancer. The objectives of Na Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular D iseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) being implemented under National Health Mission (NHM) for interventions upto district level include awareness generation for Cancer prevention, screening, early detec referral to an appropriate level institution for trea tment. The focus is on three types of cancer namely breast, cervical and oral cancer.

A  population  level  initiative  for  prevention,  control  and  screening  for  common -Communicable Diseases (diabetes, hypertension and cancer viz. oral, breast and cervical cancer) has been rolled out in over 150 districts of the country in 2017 - 18  under NHM, as a part of comprehensive primary healthcare.

To  build  capacity  for  cancer  research  and  to  improve  availability  of  cancer  car Government o f India is implementing Strengthening of Tertiary Cancer Care facility scheme NPCDCS under which support is provided for setting up of State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) Tertiary Cancer Care Centres (TCCCs) in the country.  SCIs and TCCCs will mentor al l cancer related activities. Second campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute(CNCI), Kolka National Cancer Institute (NCI) under AIIMS, New Delhi, is also being set up.  All thes enhance the capacity for prevention and treatment of cance r in the country.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National  Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR),  has launched www.cancerindia.org.in with  the  theme  'India  Against Cancer', a portal that provides information on the leading cancers in India with a major f awareness, prevention and treatment of these cancers.

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