Imagine a loved one receiving a cancer diagnosis when it’s too late for effective treatment. Now, imagine if that cancer had been caught early — when it was still treatable, when hope was still alive. This is the reality we face today, where early detection, diagnosis, and prevention are not just crucial but lifesaving.
With 1 in 9 Indians likely to develop cancer in their lifetime, the urgency to address the growing public health burden in India cannot be overstated. What is the role of cancer screening? Cancer is responsible for 18% of deaths from noncommunicable diseases , making it the second leading cause of mortality in the country. In 2022 alone, an estimated 14 lakh new cancer cases occurred in India, a number expected to rise by 12% by 2025.
As per GLOBOCAN , among women, breast, cervical, ovarian, and colorectal cancers are most common, while lung, esophageal, colorectal, and stomach cancers dominate among men. When cancer is detected late, survival rates plummet while the cost of care skyrockets, often requiring aggressive and expensive treatments. On the other hand, early detection makes cancer easier to treat, causes less suffering, and significantly extends life.
This is why many countries have aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), setting ambitious targets to ensure no cancer goes undetected. For instance, the National Health Service in England aims to increase the proportion of people diagnosed at an early stage from 50% .