Experts Urge Focus on Early Screening to Combat India’s Rising Cancer Rates, ETHealthworld
New Delhi: Prevention and early detection must take centre stage in India’s strategy to tackle cancer, experts said during a webinar on ‘Prevention and Early Detection of Cancer’ organised by Mahajan Imaging & Labs.
The diagnostics chain said it witnessed a 32 per cent increase in cancer-related diagnostic investigations across its centres in Delhi-NCR between June 2025 and June 2026.
Preventive screening also increased across key cancers, with Pap smear tests rising by 83 per cent, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests by 280 per cent, and mammography examinations by 26 per cent, reflecting greater participation in age-appropriate screening among both women and men, the company added.
However, oncologists and radiologists speaking at the webinar noted that despite improving awareness, India continues to rely largely on opportunistic screening, with many cancers still being diagnosed only after symptoms appear.
Dr Harit Chaturvedi, CEO and Head of Surgical Oncology, Apollo Hospital, said, “While advances in diagnostics have enabled earlier diagnosis, many patients continue to present with advanced-stage disease because persistent symptoms are ignored or screening is delayed. Any symptom lasting more than two to three weeks, such as an unexplained lump, a non-healing ulcer, persistent cough, blood in the stool or urine, or unexplained weight loss, should be medically evaluated promptly. Body awareness is equally important because recognising unusual changes early can significantly improve treatment outcomes.”
The panelists also noted that despite increased screening, cancer care remains inaccessible to a large section of the population.
They agreed that reducing India’s cancer burden would require coordinated efforts involving healthcare providers, employers and policymakers to expand access to organised screening, strengthen public awareness, and encourage preventive healthcare.
Dr Nitesh Rohatgi, Principal Director, Medical Oncology, Fortis Hospital, said, “Organised screening programmes have the potential to identify cancers before symptoms develop, when treatment is more effective and outcomes are significantly better. Strengthening preventive healthcare through collaboration between healthcare institutions, employers and policymakers will be critical to improving cancer outcomes in India.”
