HQ Team
September 17, 2025: A recent comprehensive study based on data from India’s National Cancer Registry Programme has highlighted significant regional variations in cancer incidence and mortality across the country.
The report estimates that over 1.5 million new cancer cases were diagnosed in India in 2024, with nearly 874,000 cancer-related deaths. The findings point to an urgent need for strengthened and region-specific cancer control strategies.
The study also found that more than half of newly diagnosed cases were women, but men make up the majority of deaths. The world ratio is equal half and half, according to cancer organisations.
The study, which analyzed data from 43 population-based cancer registries between 2015 and 2019, found that the lifetime risk of developing cancer in India is 11%. However, this risk is not uniform. The northeastern state of Mizoram reported the highest lifetime risk—21.1% for males and 18.9% for females—more than double the national average. The district of Aizawl in Mizoram recorded the highest age-adjusted incidence rates for both men and women.
The most common types of cancer also varied by gender. Among men, oral, lung, and prostate cancers were most frequently diagnosed. Tobacco drives 40% of preventable cancers, mainly oral and lung.
Among women, breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers were the most prevalent. Breast and cervical cancers make up 40% of female cases.
Reason for gender mortality differences
The reason for lower mortality rates from cancer in women is attributed to a slew of awareness campaigns and long latency periods in the cancers. Meaning the time from their appearance and spread is longer, and hence, detection is faster and treatable. Women tend to visit medical facilities more often as compared to men due to their reproductive cycle.
Men are more averse to hospital visits. However, lung and oral cancers are more aggressive usually. They are also lifestyle related ––tobacco and alcohol consumption is the main culprit.
Cancer burden in various parts of India
Another notable feature is, India’s cancer burden is unevenly spread across regions, and across the types of cancer people face.
Certain urban areas showed alarming trends; for example, Delhi reported the highest overall cancer incidence rate for men among major cities, while Srinagar had the highest rate of lung cancer.
The research also identified rising trends in specific cancers over time. Oral cancer showed significant increases in several regions, including Ahmedabad Urban, where incidence rose by 4.7% in men and 6.9% in women. Some registries, such as Kamrup Urban and Thiruvananthapuram, showed a steady annual increase in overall cancer incidence.
Regional variation causes
This overall incidence of cancer and the geographical variations and be attributed to lifestyle choices, culture, and even the type of food consumed. In the eastern region, chewing of tobacco, alcohol consumption and the type of food eaten is different from other regions. Kashmir sees more incidence of lung cancer maybe due to the cold weather and higher exposure to coal and wood fire. Hereditary factors, environment and a gene dispositions are the fixed vectors in any cancer case, but the variables are the regional choices of food and lifestyle habits.
World incidence
Cancer is the most universal of diseases, but the unevenness based on geography, income, and access to care is seen across the world. In the developed world, according to another study, one in 12 women is diagnosed with breast cancer, butonly one in 71 dies from it. Whereas in poor countries, only one in 27 is diagnosed, but nearly 48 die of it.
The study acknowledged limitations, including possible underreporting of cancer deaths and variations in data quality across regions. Despite covering about 18% of India’s population, the registries include both urban and rural areas, offering a representative picture of the national cancer burden.
These findings underscore the need for targeted public health interventions, improved screening, and awareness programs tailored to regional patterns. Policymakers and health officials are urged to use this data to allocate resources efficiently and enhance cancer prevention and control efforts nationwide.
