Lok Sabha Question No. 786 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: Rate of Cancer among Women
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: S. Jothimani

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 786 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH FEBRUARY, 2021

## RATE OF CANCER AMONG WOMEN

## 786. MS. S. JOTHIMAN I:

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

- (a) whether the rate of cancer among women has increased, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted a study in this regard to ascertain the reasons for the increase in cancer cases a mongst women, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to prevent cancer among women; and
- (d) the initiatives taken by the Government in order to make cancer treatment more affordable?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a) & (b) : As per the Indian Council  of Medical Research's Cancer Registry data Report on 'National Registry Program report, 2020' the estimated number of in cidence of cancer cases is increasing among women in the country.

The estimated incidence of cancer cases reported in the country during 2018 - 2020 is give below:

| Estimated cancer cases in India (2018 - 20 ) - Females   |   Estimated cancer cases in India (2018 - 20 ) - Females |   Estimated cancer cases in India (2018 - 20 ) - Females |   Estimated cancer cases in India (2018 - 20 ) - Females |
|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| Year                                                     |                                                     2018 |                                                     2019 |                                                     2020 |
| Estimated Incidence of Cancer cases                      |                                                   677627 |                                                   695072 |                                                   712758 |

Cancer  is  a  multifactorial  disease,  the  risk  factors  of  which  interalia,  includ population, sedentary life styles, use of tobacco products, unhealthy diet and air polluti

- (c) & (d) : Health is a State subject and the Central Government supplements the efforts of t State Governments in preventing and controlling cancer. The objectives of National Progr

for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDC , being  implemented  by  Central  Government  under  National  Health  Mission  (NHM)  for interventions  upto  the  district  level,  includes  awareness  generation  for  cancer  pre screening, early detection and referral to an appropriate level institution for tr eatment. For cancer the focus is on three cancers, namely breast, cervical and oral.  A population level ini prevention,  control  and  screening  for  common  Non - Communicable  Diseases  (NCDs)  i.e. diabetes, hypertension and common cancers viz. oral, breast and cervical cancer, has been rolled out in 682 districts of the country under NHM, as a part of comprehensive primary healt Under  this  initiative,  persons  more  than  30  years  of  age  are  targeted  for  their  scre common NCDs. Screening o f common NCDs including three common cancers i.e. oral, breast and cervical is also an integral part of service delivery under Ayushman Bharat - Health and Wellness Centres. Under NPCDCS, Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) is used as th screening to ol for cervical cancer.

To tackle the challenge of NCDs, including cancers, 638 NCD Clinics at District l and 4464 NCD  Clinics at Community Health Centre level have been set up under NPCDCS. Under  NHM,  support  is  provided  to  States/UTs  to  provide  fre e  essential  medicines  and diagnostic services for primary and secondary health care needs.

To  enhance  the  facilities  for  tertiary  care  of  cancer,  the  Central  Governme implementing Strengthening of Tertiary Care for Cancer Scheme, under which settin g up of 19 State  Cancer  Institutes  and  20  Tertiary  Care  Cancer  Centres  have  been  approved.    Fur Oncology is also one of the focus areas in case of new AIIMS and many upgraded institut under  Pradhan  Mantri  Swasthya  Suraksha  Yojana  (PMSSY).  Setting up  of  National  Cancer Institute  at  Jhajjar  in  Haryana  and  strengthening  of  Chittaranjan  National  Cancer  In Kolkata, are also steps in the same direction.

Cancer  is  diagnosed  and  treated  at  various  levels  in  the  health  care  syste Government hospitals, treatment is either free or highly subsidized. Treatment of cancers available under Ayushman Bharat -Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). B esides this, Affordable  Medicines  and  Reliable  Implants  for  Treatment  (AMRIT)  Deendayal  outlets  hav been  opened  at  various  Institutions/Hospitals  with  an  objective  to  make  available  dru implants at discounted prices to the patients. Under the umbrel la scheme of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi, financial assistance is provided to families living below threshold poverty line treatment, including treatment of cancer, in Government hospitals.