Make cancer a notifiable disease urge medical bodies and Indian Cancer Society on World Cancer Day

Indian medical organizations push for cancer to be classified as a notifiable disease in India for better detection and management.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Indian Cancer Society, the Apollo Cancer Centres, and the Family Physician Associations started a campaign on World Cancer Day and urged the Government of India to classify cancer as a notifiable disease for better efficiency in cancer detection, management, and research. 

The doctors of this nationwide campaign “Unify to Notify” believe that the initiative can help real-time data collection and accurate reporting to understand the gravity of the disease and its impact. It can also help in developing standardized treatment protocols through epidemiological analysis and targeted intervention strategy planning. They urged that this could put India in the global map of global oncology research and care and help to combat the disease with a holistic approach. 

According to data shared by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, the estimated number of incident cases of cancer in India for the year 2022 was found to be 14,61,427 and is estimated to increase by 12.8% in 2025 as compared to 2020. 

Dr. Arunabha Sengupta, Honorary Secretary of Indian Cancer Society, Kolkata, said, “The Indian Cancer Society stands firmly with this initiative to make cancer a notifiable disease. This step will bridge the current gaps in our cancer surveillance system and enable better coordination between various healthcare providers.” He added that this can ensure that all cancer cases are reported and documented, and enable them to track cancer cases, mortality, and survival rates of patients. 

“With proper documentation of every cancer case, we can better understand patterns, allocate resources efficiently, and develop targeted treatment protocols. At Apollo Cancer Centres, we have already established a robust cancer registry, which has enabled us to track cancer trends and outcomes,” Dr P. N. Mohapatra, Director Medical Oncology, Apollo Cancer Centre, Kolkata, said. He added that making cancer a notifiable disease can be a gamechanger and can be a transformative step towards revolutionising how the disease and its care is approached in India. 

Multiple States in India including Haryana, Karnataka, Tripura, West Bengal, Punjab, among others have already made cancer a notifiable disease but it is not a countrywide affair to date. 

According to a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare submitted a report to the Rajya Sabha in 2022, they recommended the “classification of cancer as a notifiable disease so that the cancer deaths are mandatorily required to be reported to the Government machinery.” Industry experts hoped that the Government of India will take the next step in passing the bill in both the Lower and Upper Houses of the Parliament in the Budget Session.