An estimated 8,01,374 people died of cancer this year as compared to 7,66,348 deaths from the disease in 2017, Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel told the Lok Sabha on December 21. 



Citing the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) cancer registry data report, she also said that an estimated 15,86,571 cases of cancer have so far been reported this year. According to the data submitted to the Parliament, the estimated incidence of cancer cases was 15,17,426 in 2017, 14,51,417 in 2016 and 13,88,397 in 2015.

The estimated mortality of cancer cases in India was 73,2921 in 2016, 70,1007 in 2015 and 67,0541 in 2014, it said. The ICMR's cancer registry data report titled 'Three-year Report of Population Based Cancer Registries: 2012-2014, Bengaluru, 2016' noted that the estimated number of incidence of cancer cases in the country was increasing, the minister told the Lok Sabha.

She said the government was implementing the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) under the National Health Mission (NHM) to support the states and Union Territories for interventions up to district level.

The focus is on the three common cancers-- oral, breast and cervical, she said. In addition, population-based prevention, control, screening and management for hypertension, diabetes and common cancers is also being implemented in more than 200 districts under NHM, Patel added.