In News
- World Cancer Day is observed every year worldwide on February 4 to raise awareness, and reduce the global impact of cancer.
Key Facts
- Theme 2022: Close the Care Gap
- National Cancer Awareness Day: 7th NovemberÂ
What is Cancer?
- It is a disease that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably.Â
- Spread other parts of the body (metastasizing).
- These cells may form tumours, which are lumps of tissue. Tumours can be cancerous or non-cancerous (benign).Â
- Oncology is the medical branch that diagnoses, treats and researches cancer cells.
- Types: Categories of cancers that begin in specific types of cells like Carcinoma (skin), Sarcoma (connective tissues), Leukemia (Bone Marrow) etc.
- Major Causes: Genetics, Tobacco, Diet, Radiation & Environment.Â
- Treatment: Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Bone marrow transplant etc.
Cancer Burden in India
- National Cancer Registry Programme Report 2020: Cancer cases in India are likely to increase to 15.6 lakhs by 2025 — a 12% increase from currently estimated cases.
- Globally, cancer cases increased 21% and deaths 26% from 2010 to 2019. Oral cancer is the most prevalent cancer.
- WHO: Second leading cause of death globally and in 2018, 18 million cases globally, of which 1.5 million were in India alone.
Government Initiatives
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): Specialized cancer agency of the WHO.
- SDG: To achieve a one-third reduction in cancer-related deaths by 2030.
- National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) under NHM.
- National Health Policy & National Tobacco Control Programme.
- Government programmes: Ayushman Bharat, Swasthya Bharat, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Poshan Abhiyaan and Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, FSSAI Labelling.
- India creates the world’s 1st Database of Genomic Variants of Oral Cancer ‘dbGENVOC’.
- National Cancer Grid (NCG) is a network of major cancer centres.
 Source: LM
