With one in nine Indians facing a lifetime risk of cancer, experts are urging immediate action to strengthen early screening and public awareness. Suraksha Diagnostic (“Suraksha Clinic and Diagnostics”) organised a cancer awareness session at its Helabattala Centre, where leading oncologists discussed early warning signs, causes, prevention, and treatment pathways for common cancers.
The session featured insights from Dr. Bibartan Saha, Radiologist at Suraksha Diagnostics Barasat; Dr. Rajarshi Goswami, Oncologist at Suraksha Bangaon, Habra and Barasat; Dr. Ipsheet Mishra, Oncosurgeon at Suraksha Diagnostics – Ekbalpur; and Dr. Kaustav Mandal, Radiation Oncologist at Suraksha Jadavpur.
Experts noted India’s rising cancer burden, citing ICMR data that shows an 11 per cent lifetime risk based on findings from 43 cancer registries between 2015 and 2019. India reported 1.46 million new cases in 2022, with lung, oral, and prostate cancers most prevalent among men, and breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers among women. Late detection remains a major cause of mortality, contributing to 8–9 lakh deaths in 2020.
Experts highlighted key risk factors, with tobacco responsible for nearly 40 per cent of all cancers, alongside alcohol, unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyles, obesity, chronic infections such as Hepatitis and HPV, and pollution. Rising cancer incidence among younger populations—driven by pollution, stress, and lifestyle choices—was also underscored, supported by a BMJ Oncology (2023) study reporting a 79 per cent rise in cancers among people under 50 and a 2025 Mayo Clinic Proceedings study indicating increased gastrointestinal cancers in the same age group.
According to ICMR projections, India may see 15.7 lakh new cancer cases in 2025, increasing to 22.1 lakh by 2040. National registries also report 50,000–75,000 new childhood cancer cases annually, with leukaemia being the most common.
During the session, experts advised adopting balanced diets, regular physical activity, healthy weight management, tobacco and alcohol cessation, pollution reduction, and timely vaccinations to lower cancer risk. They explained that cancer develops when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably and spread to distant organs, leading to cancer-related deaths.