Every 8 mins, a woman dies of cervical cancer in India
New Delhi: The National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) has advocated categorising cancer as a notifiable disease and anticipates that incorporating soon-to-be-available indigenous
HPV tests
and vaccines into the national programme will improve cancer prevention and treatment protocols. The effectiveness of the "indigenous HPV tests" will be announced on Wednesday at India International Centre (IIC).
At the organisation's 65th foundation day celebration on Monday, officials presented findings of the task force on cervical and breast cancer in India, emphasising the necessity of comprehensive data collection for surveillance and policy formulation. They stressed that all women above 30 years should undergo screening for cancer, noting the current poor screening coverage.
Dr Neerja Bhatla, professor and former head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, AIIMS; vice president of NAMS and inaugural head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for
Cervical Cancer
Prevention and Research at AIIMS, discussed the current testing scenario for cervical cancer. She indicated that while HPV testing remains the primary diagnostic tool for cervical cancer detection, its high cost led to the development of indigenous alternatives. These new tests are anticipated to be implemented in the national programme, offering a simplified diagnostic approach that requires minimal training and utilises closed systems.
She noted that validated local HPV tests detecting fewer genotypes are now accessible, providing cost-effective solutions suitable for primary healthcare centres. Portable screening and treatment equipment enable same-day care delivery.
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Regarding HPV vaccination, health minister JP Nadda stated in the Lok Sabha last August that the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommended including the
HPV vaccine
in the national immunisation programme. However, the govt faces logistical considerations, particularly regarding single versus double dosage, with external agencies supporting single-dose administration. The govt must ensure adequate capacity for programme implementation.
According to experts, single-dose indigenous vaccine trials are ongoing, with interim results expected in 2026 and final outcomes in 2027.
Dr Bhatla clarified that positive test results shouldn't cause alarm, indicating only potential risk. Cervical cancer develops gradually through a precancerous phase and remains preventable and treatable when detected early. By achieving the 90:70:90 target (90% vaccination, 70% screening, 90% timely treatment for diagnosed cervical cancer cases) by 2030, we can successfully reduce the cervical cancer incidence rate to below 4 per 100,000 women annually.
In India, cervical cancer ranks second amongst women's cancers after breast cancer, despite being fourth globally. One woman dies from cervical cancer every 8 minutes. Breast cancer incidence increased by nearly 50% between 1965 and 1985, currently representing 13.5% of all cancers and 10.6% of cancer-related deaths. India records one breast cancer diagnosis every 4 minutes.
The cervical cancer task force's literature review led to recommendations for designating cancer as a notifiable disease and improving cancer registry networks. Notifiable diseases require reporting to public health authorities, enabling swift investigation, risk assessment, and effective response to infectious diseases or contamination.
Prof SM Bose, NAMS council member, reported that the task force undertook a thorough assessment of breast cancer care systems across India. With approximately 200,000 new cases annually, the group discovered substantial shortcomings in the nation's healthcare infrastructure for diagnosing and treating breast cancer effectively.
The evaluation revealed diagnostic services as one of the primary deficiencies. The team also noted considerable limitations in accessing various treatment options, including surgery, radiotherapy, and systematic treatments. Based on these findings, the task force presented multiple suggestions. They stressed the urgent requirement to strengthen diagnostic and treatment infrastructure throughout the country, whilst advocating for the implementation of a national screening initiative centred on early detection.
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