Lancet report on cancer deaths among Indian women

Relevance: GS3- Awareness in the fields of biotechnology

(Source: DTE, 09/27/2023)

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Why in the news?

• Recently the Lancet Commission report ‘Women, Power and Cancer’ was launched.
• According to the report around 6.9 million cancer deaths among women in India were preventable and 4.03 million were treatable.

Key outcomes of the report

• According to the report 63% of premature deaths due to cancers in Indian women could have been prevented by reducing risk factors, screening, and diagnosis.
• Also 37% of deaths could have been prevented with timely and optimal treatment.
• As per the report men are at a higher risk of cancers than women but cancer incidence and mortality in women remains high.
• Globally, women account for 48% of the new cancer cases and 44% of cancer deaths.
• Some other findings of the report are in the image below.

What are the reason for high cancer mortality rate in female

• Infection is the biggest risk factor for cancer in Indian women, contributing to 23 percent of deaths.
• Tobacco is the second important risk factor for cancer, contributing to six per cent of the cancer deaths, the report said.
• Absence of knowledge and timely care.
• Lack of availability of health care centres near to home lead more females to ignorance of issues.
• In many Indian families financial decisions are still being taken without consideration of women’s opinion, such societal methods hampres the access to healthcare facilities of females.
• Even after being diagnosed by cancer many females do not follow proper treatment due to financial burden.
• The report estimated that the value of unpaid cancer care-giving by women is about only 3.66% of India’s national health expenditure which is too less.
• Lack of awareness about health care and disease.
• Women hesitate to approach male doctors with these problems or even let a female doctor check the genital area, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
• The patients are lost for follow-up, because they have to go to higher centres for biopsy and then treatment.

Probable solution to decrease cancer mortality in female

Proper and timely screening

• Women who detect any lumps during self-examination must consult a doctor immediately.
• Women between the ages of 25 and 65 years should get a pap smear test to check for pre-cancerous growth on their cervix.
• An HPV test — a test to detect the human papilloma virus that causes a majority of cervical cancers — can also be done every five or ten years.

Government Initiatives

• The screening programme of the government at the level of primary health centres and sub-centres can also help in early diagnosis.
• treatment can be provided by the nursing staff at the primary health centres itself for cervical cancer.

Other Measures

• There is a need to regularly collect data on gender and social demographics for cancer health statistics.
• It is required to develop, strengthen, and enforce laws and policies that reduce exposures to known cancer risks.
• Equitable access to cancer research resources, leadership, and funding opportunities for women is also suggested.

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FAQs

MCQs

Question: Cervical cancer in India is the most frequent cancer among women between of age.

(a) 35-55 years

(b) 25-55 years

(c) 15-44 years

(d) 30-60 years