National Cancer Awareness Day On Nov 7: Experts Stress Early Diagnosis, Access

Make cancer a nationally notifiable disease, strengthen the ability of primary healthcare workers to recognise early symptoms, take specialised treatment closer to patients and use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve screening and risk assessment. These are among the key recommendations from cancer experts as India observes National Cancer Awareness Day on November 7, amid concerns over late diagnosis and gaps in access to treatment.

Dr Saumya Aggarwal, Medical Officer and Surgical Oncologist at VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, emphasised that expanding screening programmes and financial assistance alone would not be sufficient unless patients are linked to timely diagnosis, specialist care and sustained treatment. “Improving cancer surveillance, strengthening the healthcare workforce and making medicines accessible closer to patients are equally important.”

The urgency is evident from the number of patients who ignore early warning signs, added Dr Rakesh Kumar, HoD Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi.

The early signs are a mouth ulcer that refuses to heal, a lump in the breast or unexplained weight loss that may go uninvestigated for months.

India records around 15.6 lakh new cancer cases annually, according to the Union Health Ministry. Oral cancer is among the leading cancers in men, alongside lung and prostate cancers. Among women, breast cancer accounts for nearly 30% of cases, followed by cervical, oral and ovarian cancers, according to GLOBOCAN 2022. An estimated 70-80% of patients in India are diagnosed at an advanced stage.

However, the real measure of progress is whether people identified through screening receive confirmatory tests and begin treatment. For instance, against 16.2 crore reported breast cancer screenings, 77,107 cases were diagnosed and 68,402 patients were recorded as being under treatment. These figures underline the need for effective referral and patient-tracking systems.

Early diagnosis can improve five-year survival to 80-99% for several common cancers, while treatment costs may be two to seven times lower than for advanced disease, say oncologists. Yet fear of diagnosis, poor health-seeking behaviour, financial constraints and inadequate referral networks continue to delay care, they warn.

“Also, for many, taking time off work means losing daily wages. Others face repeated referrals, travel expenses and delays in reaching specialists. By the time they receive treatment, the disease may have advanced,” noted Dr Aggarwal.

Moreever, she pointed out, specialist services remain concentrated in major cities, forcing patients from smaller towns and rural areas to travel long distances. India also has a shortage of radiotherapy infrastructure.

Against the World Health Organisation's benchmark of one radiotherapy machine per million population, the country has roughly 0.6. Equipment shortages, inadequate maintenance and a lack of trained personnel further affect access.

Dr Aggarwal called for a uniform national cancer notification system to improve disease surveillance.

“Cancer notification would help authorities map the burden, identify regional variations, monitor treatment outcomes and plan infrastructure according to need.

“Telangana made cancer notification mandatory in April 2026, joining other states that have adopted similar measures. A nationwide system could build on India's experience with mandatory tuberculosis notification and patient tracking.”

The limited coverage of population-based cancer registries makes comprehensive planning difficult. Better reporting would also help identify areas where screening, diagnostic facilities and specialist services need to be strengthened, she asserted.

At the same time, Dr Kumar stressed the need to equip primary healthcare workers and doctors to recognise early cancer symptoms and refer to suspected cases without delay.

Medical education should give greater attention to early symptom recognition, lifestyle counselling, referral pathways and communicating a diagnosis. Persistent oral ulcers and suspicious breast lumps, for instance, should prompt timely evaluation.

He also called for greater cancer awareness among adolescents and young adults. School-based initiatives such as West Bengal's government-supported Ujjiban Charcha and the Delhi State Cancer Institute's PANKH programme show how educational institutions can become platforms for sustained health education.

Dr Rohit Joshi, Medical Officer, Additional Director Office, CGHS North Zone dwelled on the need to decentralise cancer services. “Diagnostic facilities, chemotherapy, follow-up and palliative care should be made available closer to communities to reduce repeated journeys to metropolitan hospitals.”

Satellite centres, drawing on models such as AIIMS Jhajjar, could help patients access treatment without repeatedly bearing the costs of travel and accommodation. This is particularly important for those who risk discontinuing treatment because of financial and logistical difficulties, he said.

Dr Aggarwal stressed that prevention must receive greater public investment. Tobacco use and HPV infection are among the avoidable cancer risks that can be addressed through sustained awareness, tobacco-control measures and vaccination.

Dr Joshi recommended greater use of technology to improve screening and identify people who need further investigation. Artificial intelligence-assisted tools could help primary healthcare teams assess risk and make better use of limited specialist resources.

Platforms such as iOncology.ai, showcased at the recent BRICS summit, point to the potential of AI in cancer care. Dr Sharma also highlighted the role of technology in supporting screening and risk assessment.

Genomic testing and precision medicine could further improve treatment decisions, but their integration into public healthcare would require evidence of clinical benefit, affordability and wider accessibility.

The government has also announced plans to expand AMRIT pharmacy access to medical colleges and district hospitals. This could reduce the distance patients travel to obtain discounted medicines. However, affordability remains a challenge for high-cost treatments, including immunotherapy drugs such as pembrolizumab, which are not necessarily made affordable through trade-margin regulation alone, said Dr Aggarwal.

Beyond treatment costs, cancer places a considerable psychological burden on patients and carers. Access to counselling, rehabilitation and palliative care must therefore be part of comprehensive cancer services, she added.

The government, on its part, has expanded financial protection and preventive healthcare measures to address the burden, and Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY provides eligible families with annual hospitalisation cover of up to Rs 5 lakh, including specified cancer treatments.

Also, Jan Aushadhi and AMRIT pharmacies provide medicines at discounted prices. The Union Budget 2026-27 exempted 17 cancer drugs from customs duty. From November 9, revised maximum retail prices for 543 anti-cancer drug brands announced by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) will take effect. Government estimates suggest the move could reduce annual out-of-pocket expenditure by around Rs 2,500 crore.

Screening has also expanded under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. By February 2026, Ayushman Arogya Mandirs had reported more than 34.7 crore oral cancer screenings, 16.2 crore breast cancer screenings and 8.7 crore cervical cancer screenings.

The nationwide HPV vaccination campaign, launched in February 2026 for 14-year-old girls, had administered more than 80 lakh doses by September, as per the government data.