Overview

• India’s cancer incidence rose from 84.8 to 107.2 per 100,000 people between 1990 and 2023 as deaths increased by about 21%, according to the Global Burden of Disease analysis published in The Lancet.
• Globally, new cancer cases more than doubled to an estimated 18.5 million in 2023 and deaths rose to 10.4 million, with the burden falling disproportionately on low- and middle-income countries.
• The study projects around 30.5 million new cases and 18.6 million deaths in 2050, representing increases of roughly 61% and 74–75% from current levels.
• About 42% of 2023 cancer deaths—roughly 4.3 million—were linked to 44 modifiable risk factors, with tobacco alone accounting for around 21% of deaths.
• While China and the United States recorded declines in incidence and mortality since 1990, Indian experts and a 2023 parliamentary panel urge stronger tobacco taxation, wider HPV and Hepatitis B vaccination, organised screening, registry linkage to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, and integration of cancer care into universal health coverage.