Hyderabad has the greatest number of breast cancer cases in India.
HYDERABAD: With 54 cases of breast cancer per lakh women, Hyderabad has the highest rate of the disease in all of India. Bengaluru, with a rate of 46.7 per lakh, is not far behind the city. Research from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)'s National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) has revealed this.
The American Medical Association's (AMA) journal, JAMA Open Network, just published the findings. The study found that the age-adjusted incidence rate (AAIR) of breast cancer in Chennai, Alappuzha, and Thiruvananthapuram, three major cities in south India, is among the top six, at 45.4, 42.2, and 40.7, respectively.
Experts can better understand the prevalence of diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart issues in a community by using the AIR measure, which compares disease rates across age groups and geographical areas. The urban lifestyle that causes obesity, sedentary habits, excessive alcohol consumption, early menarche, late menopause, late childbirth, and lack of breastfeeding is the main cause of the high AAIR, according to doctors in Hyderabad and other cities. They claim that each of these raises the chance of breast cancer. According to the study, breast cancer is the most common cancer among Indian women, affecting 2.38 lakh people nationwide in 2024.
Both public and private hospitals in Hyderabad have seen an increase in patients. Doctors warn that unlike in the past, even women in their 20s and 30s are increasingly reporting breast cancer. Approximately 120 to 130 patients are seen by doctors at Hyderabad's MNJ Cancer Hospital each month, for a total of 1,500 to 1,600 cases per year. Additionally, they state that Osmania Hospital, Gandhi Hospital, and the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) serve dozens of patients each month, whereas private hospitals receive hundreds of cases.
In the past, we saw between 70 and 75 instances every month. According to Dr. Mukta Srinivasulu, a top oncologist at MNJ Cancer Hospital, the number has now surpassed 100. "There's also a change," she continued, "with breast cancer instances increasing and cervical cancer cases declining. The majority of people arrive complaining of physical and emotional discomfort or lumps.
Although Dr. Srinivasulu acknowledged that it is difficult to pinpoint the precise cause of Hyderabad's high prevalence of breast cancer cases in the country, particularly given that many urban areas share similar lifestyles, he emphasized that the increase in cases is noticeable throughout Telangana, not only in the capital.
According to Dr. Nivalika Rajamani, a prominent oncologist at a private hospital, "this is mostly due to the sedentary lifestyle many people are now following." Hyderabad is also one of the few cities in India with the highest rate of diabetes (ranking fourth), which is associated with breast cancer. When you combine it with the ease of access to highly processed and contaminated food, it poses a major health danger. While the majority of patients in rural areas still have cervical cancer, breast cancer is becoming more common in metropolitan women. Every month, I personally treat ten to twelve instances.
Hospitals in Telangana are exempt from reporting cases of cancer to a central database because the condition is not yet a notifiable one. Because the existing registry mostly uses records from MNJ Cancer Hospital and NIMS in Hyderabad, experts think this has resulted in a gap in the national cancer data.
Soon, a sickness that can be reported
In the upcoming months, the government intends to make cancer a disease that requires notification, according to a Telangana health department official. "This move will help create more accurate databases, allow for better patient follow-ups, and improve policymaking and cancer control efforts across Telangana," added the official.
The American Medical Association's (AMA) journal, JAMA Open Network, just published the findings. The study found that the age-adjusted incidence rate (AAIR) of breast cancer in Chennai, Alappuzha, and Thiruvananthapuram, three major cities in south India, is among the top six, at 45.4, 42.2, and 40.7, respectively.
Experts can better understand the prevalence of diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart issues in a community by using the AIR measure, which compares disease rates across age groups and geographical areas. The urban lifestyle that causes obesity, sedentary habits, excessive alcohol consumption, early menarche, late menopause, late childbirth, and lack of breastfeeding is the main cause of the high AAIR, according to doctors in Hyderabad and other cities. They claim that each of these raises the chance of breast cancer. According to the study, breast cancer is the most common cancer among Indian women, affecting 2.38 lakh people nationwide in 2024.
Both public and private hospitals in Hyderabad have seen an increase in patients. Doctors warn that unlike in the past, even women in their 20s and 30s are increasingly reporting breast cancer. Approximately 120 to 130 patients are seen by doctors at Hyderabad's MNJ Cancer Hospital each month, for a total of 1,500 to 1,600 cases per year. Additionally, they state that Osmania Hospital, Gandhi Hospital, and the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) serve dozens of patients each month, whereas private hospitals receive hundreds of cases.
In the past, we saw between 70 and 75 instances every month. According to Dr. Mukta Srinivasulu, a top oncologist at MNJ Cancer Hospital, the number has now surpassed 100. "There's also a change," she continued, "with breast cancer instances increasing and cervical cancer cases declining. The majority of people arrive complaining of physical and emotional discomfort or lumps.
Although Dr. Srinivasulu acknowledged that it is difficult to pinpoint the precise cause of Hyderabad's high prevalence of breast cancer cases in the country, particularly given that many urban areas share similar lifestyles, he emphasized that the increase in cases is noticeable throughout Telangana, not only in the capital.
According to Dr. Nivalika Rajamani, a prominent oncologist at a private hospital, "this is mostly due to the sedentary lifestyle many people are now following." Hyderabad is also one of the few cities in India with the highest rate of diabetes (ranking fourth), which is associated with breast cancer. When you combine it with the ease of access to highly processed and contaminated food, it poses a major health danger. While the majority of patients in rural areas still have cervical cancer, breast cancer is becoming more common in metropolitan women. Every month, I personally treat ten to twelve instances.
Hospitals in Telangana are exempt from reporting cases of cancer to a central database because the condition is not yet a notifiable one. Because the existing registry mostly uses records from MNJ Cancer Hospital and NIMS in Hyderabad, experts think this has resulted in a gap in the national cancer data.
Soon, a sickness that can be reported
In the upcoming months, the government intends to make cancer a disease that requires notification, according to a Telangana health department official. "This move will help create more accurate databases, allow for better patient follow-ups, and improve policymaking and cancer control efforts across Telangana," added the official.
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