Breast, cervical cancers top cancer cases in Indian women: ICMR report

NEW DELHI: A new study from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Tata Memorial Centre has revealed that breast and cervical cancers are the most common types among Indian women, while oral and lung cancers dominate among men.

The study, published on 20 August, analysed more than 700,000 cases and over 200,000 cancer-related deaths across 43 registries in India, estimating 1.56 million new cancer cases in 2024.

This is up from around 1.49 million in 2023, according to data from the ICMR-National Cancer Registry Programme.

Beyond the headline numbers, the findings highlight a deeper challenge: India’s sheer scale and diversity mean a “one-size-fits-all” approach to cancer care cannot work. 

The data show wide disparities in the prevalence of different cancer types across regions and genders, underscoring the need for targeted prevention, screening, and treatment strategies. Without this, the rising incidence threatens to overwhelm an already stretched healthcare system.

Mapping India’s cancer crisis

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study provides one of the most detailed maps yet of India’s cancer landscape.

It found stark regional variations: oesophageal and stomach cancers are more common in the country’s northeast, while urban centres see higher cases of breast and oral cancers.

For women, breast cancer is the most common, with incidence rates of 54 per 100,000 in Hyderabad and 48.7 per 100,000 in Bengaluru. Cervical cancer remains widespread in many regions, particularly in rural areas.

For men, the picture shifts by geography. Lung cancer dominates in Srinagar, with a rate of 39.5 per 100,000, while oral cancer is alarmingly high in Ahmedabad (33.6 per 100,000) and Bhopal (30.4 per 100,000).

The silent crisis of mortality

The study also tracked mortality-to-incidence ratios, a key measure of how effective treatments and early detection are. In several regions, the ratios were worryingly high, pointing to late diagnoses and poor access to care.

In Sangrur, Punjab, for example, oral cancer mortality matched incidence one-for-one—every person diagnosed was also lost to the disease. Varanasi showed similarly high mortality. Lung cancer death rates were especially severe in Chandigarh.

Expert view

Dr Dinesh Singh, director of radiation oncology at Action Cancer Hospital, Delhi, said the ICMR–NCDIR study highlights regional disparities that must guide policy.

With India’s lifetime risk of developing cancer at 11%—and states like Mizoram reporting double that risk—the report enables policymakers and public health authorities to make targeted interventions, he said.

He noted that the most common cancers—oral, lung, and prostate in men; breast, cervix, and ovary in women—should drive resource allocation for prevention, awareness, and detection programmes. With cancer cases likely having crossed 1.5 million by 2024, this registry-driven evidence is critical to strengthen India’s cancer control strategies, Singh added.