Study finds contrasting cancer mortality trends in men and women

According to a collaborative study by Amrita Hospital, Kochi and International Agency for Research on Cancer, cancer mortality rates in India have decreased by 0.19 percent annually among men and increased by 0.25 percent among women. The study analysed mortality trends of 23 major cancers claiming 12.85 million lives between 2000 and 2019.

Among the cancers causing higher mortality trends include cancers of the lung, breast, colorectum, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, and mesothelioma. The highest annual increase in mortality was 2.7 percent in pancreatic cancer across both genders (2.1 percent among men and 3.7 percent among women). On the other hand, stomach, oesophagus, leukaemia, larynx, and melanoma cancers showed a declining cancer mortality trend irrespective of gender. Women were found to have a higher rate of gallbladder and thyroid cancer mortality than men.

The study has rightly underlined the need for a multi-pronged approach to address the rising cancer mortality rates, including better awareness of cancer symptoms, cancer prevention policies, improved health infrastructure, and exclusively dedicated human resources.

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