India’s cancer registry covers only 16-18% of population: Experts

India’s cancer registry system records only 16–18 per cent of the population, leaving large gaps in data that are critical for planning and research, said experts at a symposium marking the 25th anniversary of the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) in New Delhi.

Researchers and clinicians said cancer should be made a notifiable disease to strengthen surveillance and policy.

Prof Sharmila Pimple, MD, Professor and Head of Preventive Oncology at Centre or Cancer Epidemiology, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, said, “Unless cancer becomes notifiable, we will never get a complete picture.” The National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP), run by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has expanded in recent years but remains voluntary.

She said making cancer a notifiable disease will create a legal mandate for reporting cases, strengthening data collection to track trends and risk factors. It enables stronger public health policies, efficient resource allocation, targeted prevention and control, and supports a more effective national cancer programme with improved patient outcomes.

At present, 17 states have listed cancer as a notifiable disease, but reporting is inconsistent. Experts noted that countries such as Norway and Denmark achieve over 90 per cent coverage, allowing them to track trends and evaluate interventions.

The gaps in India’s system have direct impact on care, experts agreed. Nearly three-fourths of cancer cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, often due to delays in detection and treatment.

A study presented at the session showed that 60 per cent of patients face appraisal or healthcare access delays, linked to limited awareness, weak screening systems and irregular follow-up.

Prof LS Shashidhara, director, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, said two immediate priorities were early diagnosis and more targeted delivery of drugs to cancer cells. Oral cancer, cervical cancer and breast cancer were mentioned as areas where earlier detection could reduce late-stage diagnoses.

On the treatment side, researchers discussed ongoing trials of low-dose immunotherapy that cut drug use to one-tenth of conventional regimens, lowering costs and expanding access. Repurposed drugs such as metformin and curcumin are also under study for prevention and treatment.

The discussion reviewed current global developments. Vaccines are available for some cancers, though their universal application is uncertain, Prof Shashidhara said. They also noted that while a Russian vaccine has been announced, no reliable published data exist on its results.

Prof M Vijaya Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of Yenepoya University, Mangalore, who has a career spanning 40-years in oncology, said cancer research in the country must advance along two tracks: population-level data collection and patient-level innovations.

The symposium was part of CCDC’s 25th anniversary events, being held on September 18–19 at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi.