New Delhi: It is really an intimidating figure of breast cancer for Indian women. Religare Health Insurance has claimed breast cancer has jumped from 23% in 2014 to 38% in 2018 out of total cancer claims the insurance provider has received. It is really a huge jump and a waking call for women.
This report from insurance company comes hot on the heels of a report by CII that highlights that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer which afflicts women in India. As per the report, by 2026 we will witness rise in the breast cancer incidence to 35 per 100,000 women as compared to the present rate of 25.8.
The Lancet data reveals that the age standardized incidence rate of breast cancer in females has increased by 39.1% from 1990 to 2016 across the country, and the trend was observed in every state.
According to CII report cancer burden in India has more than doubled over the last 26 years, the highest increase amongst all therapy areas, with breast cancer being the most common among Indian women. The Breast Cancer Landscape in India, a white paper by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which aims to provide insights regarding status and challenges in breast cancer care was released Thursday by Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel.
As per the ICMR data, India had 14 lakh cancer patients in 2016 and this number is expected to increase. The government has laid down four priority cancers — breast cancer, cervical cancer, oral cancer and lung cancer which together constitute 41 per cent of cancer burden, the report mentioned.
Breast cancer is currently the most common cancer among Indian women, both in terms of incidence as well as mortality, with proportional prevalence in younger age-groups being higher than the global average.
