Cancer cases have increased: Government

Cancer cases in the country have witnessed an increase as per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), government told the Lok Sabha.

The cases have increased to 14,51,417 in 2016 from 12,70,781 in 2013, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Faggan Singh Kulaste said citing ICMR's National Cancer Registry data.

He said treatment of cancer is either free or subsidised in the government healthcare delivery system. The government under "Strengthening of Tertiary care of Cancer" scheme is assisting to establish/strengthen 20 State cancer Institutes and 50 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres in different parts of the country," he said while replying during the Question Hour.

Biju Janta Dal MP Balabhadra Majhi raised the issue of increasing cancer patients in his home state Odisha and wanted cancer treatment institute to be set up there.
To this, Kulaste said if the state sends a proposal, the centre will consider that.