4.4 lakh die of cancer, 7 lakh to 9 lakh new cases per year

New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) An estimated 4.4 lakh people die of cancer every year and about 7 lakh to nine lakh new cancer cases are detected every year while at any given time there are 2.5 million cancer patients in the country, Minister of State for Health&Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi informed the Rajya Sabha today.

In a written answer, she said the data collected through National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the report of Registrar General for the survey in 1998 had placed cancer as the 4th commonest cause of death in India.

According to International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO), Lyon, France, it is estimated that about 74% of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

Considering the fact that about 50% cancer deaths are due to Tobacco use, the Central Government has enacted a comprehensive tobacco control legislation titled 'The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003' to discourage the consumption of tobacco.

The National Tobacco Control Programme has been launched recently with a view to ensuring effective implementation of Law&Rules and also for creating awareness on the ill effects of Tobacco&providing Tobacco cessation services for the users.

In addition, under National Cancer Control Programme the Centre was supplementing the efforts of the State Governments by providing financial assistance for setting up of Oncology Wings in Govt.

Medical Colleges/Hospitals for providing treatment facilities. Under NCCP special emphasis is now being laid on early detection of Cancer through screening, promoting health education, creating awareness etc. under District Cancer Control Programme. In addition, the comprehensive cancer detection and management facilities including testing facilities in respective region/States are provided by 25 Regional Cancer Centre recognized under NCCP.

UNI