Over 63% of cancer-related deaths in Indian women could have been prevented, says Lancet Commission.
A recent Lancet Commission report on gender and cancer treatment, based on data from 2020, has shed light on the alarming rate of preventable cancer deaths among women in India. The report indicates that nearly 63% of cancer deaths among Indian women could have been avoided through risk reduction, screening, or early diagnosis. Additionally, 37% of these deaths could have been averted with timely and appropriate treatment.
The data reveals that approximately 6.9 million cancer-related deaths among Indian women were preventable, while 4.03 million were treatable. The report, titled “Women, Power, and Cancer,” underscores the societal indifference towards women’s health, a lack of awareness, and the absence of quality healthcare expertise at the primary care level, which has led to delays in cancer prevention, detection, and care.
The report highlights a distressing case study of a 36-year-old woman from Nala Sopara, Mumbai, as a representative example of gender inequity in cancer care in India. This woman, suffering from undiagnosed brain cancer, faced physical abuse and apathy from her husband. Her condition was initially dismissed by a local doctor as an eye problem. It was only through the intervention of her father-in-law, a vendor, that she received medical attention and a diagnosis.
Tragically, many women like her live with cancer, domestic violence, and poverty, unable to access timely treatment and often progressing to advanced stages of the disease.
Dr. Ishu Kataria, Commissioner of Lancet, emphasized that in 2020, more than half of the women in India diagnosed with cancer succumbed to the disease due to various factors, including family apathy, their own indifference, limited access to medical facilities, and financial constraints. Dr. Kataria called for a feminist approach to addressing cancer, stressing the need for cancer to be recognized as a priority issue in women’s health.
She stated, “Women interact with cancer in various ways, not only as people living with the disease but also as unpaid caregivers, individuals participating in cancer prevention and screening, healthcare providers, researchers, and policy makers.” Dr. Kataria highlighted the gender bias and discrimination that women face on multiple fronts, hindering their ability to access quality care for both diagnosis and treatment.
In terms of cancer-related deaths among women, breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers were the top three causes in India in 2020, according to official data. The Lancet report attributes 23% of these deaths to infections, with risk factors including the HPV virus (associated with cervical cancer) and Hepatitis B and C infections (linked to liver cancer). Tobacco contributes to 6% of cancer-related deaths, while alcohol and obesity each account for 1% of mortality.
The Lancet report also examines the economic impact of premature cancer deaths, estimating that BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) collectively lost USD 46.3 billion in productivity due to such deaths. Additionally, the report highlights that the value of unpaid cancer care provided by women accounts for about 3.66% of India’s national health expenditure.
Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, Deputy Director at the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, stressed the importance of raising awareness, particularly among women with lower educational and financial empowerment, who often present with advanced-stage cancer. It is for this reason that the Lancet Commission has called for a new, feminist, and inclusive agenda for cancer care in India.
