Chandigarh, Oct 12: Breast cancer remains the leading cancer among women in Chandigarh, while lung cancer tops the list among men, according to the second report of the Chandigarh Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Registry, released at PGIMER on Saturday.
The report, which analysed data from July 2018 to December 2021, found that 36% of female cancer patients in the city were diagnosed with breast cancer, followed by ovarian (7.4%) and cervical (6.6%) cancers. Among men, lung cancer accounted for 14.7% of cases, with prostate (14%) and urinary bladder (6.7%) cancers trailing, the registry said. Countrywide data also indicates breast cancer as the most prevalent among women, at 27%, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
On average, Chandigarh reports around 1,000 cancer cases annually. The city’s female cancer incidence rate is 98.7 per 100,000, slightly below the national average of 105.4 per 100,000, while the male rate stands at 97.3 per 100,000, slightly above the national average of 95.6 per 100,000. Mortality rates in the city are 50 per 100,000 for men and 46 per 100,000 for women, both below national figures.
The registry collected data on five major non-communicable diseases from 40 institutions, including hospitals, laboratories, and birth and death registrars. The analysis found that most cancer cases occurred in the 46-69 age group for both men and women.
Dr JS Thakur, professor of community medicine at PGIMER and president of the World NCD Federation, noted that cancer cases are rising in Chandigarh and across India. “Earlier, cervical cancer was the most common among women, but now breast cancer has overtaken it,” he said. Dr Thakur is the principal investigator of the Chandigarh NCD Registry.
Dr Rakesh Kapoor, head of clinical haematology and medical oncology at PGIMER and co-investigator of the registry, highlighted an alarming trend of younger women being affected by breast cancer. “The reason for this is still unclear,” he said. Citing research, he mentioned factors such as late marriage, non-pregnancy, and family history as potential contributors.
Among men, Dr Kapoor said lung cancer risk is largely linked to smoking, air pollution, and occupational exposures, while oral cancer is associated with tobacco use, smoking, and poor oral hygiene. Prostate cancer, he added, may result from age, genetics, diet, obesity, and prostate inflammation.
Dr Rahul D Modi, co-director of gynaecological oncology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, said obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for breast and several other cancers. “With growing awareness, detection rates are also increasing,” he said. Dr Modi also noted that in more developed regions, women are more prone to breast and uterine cancers than cervical cancer.
