Cancer Incidence and Epidemiological Trends in Punjab: A Population-Based Registry Analysis for State-Level Health Policy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze cancer incidence and mortality patterns based on population-based cancer registry data for a defined region in Punjab, India, covering the period from January 2012 to December 2016.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Active hospital and laboratory surveillance and community health worker monitoring identified cases, which were validated using CanReg5 for accuracy. We determined age-adjusted incidence rates (AARs) together with crude rates (CRs) and mortality-to-incidence ratios (M/I %).

RESULTS

A total of 11,471 new cancer cases were recorded, comprising 5,394 (47.0%) men and 6,077 (53.0%) women. The AARs were 108.2 per 100,000 in men and 124.6 per 100,000 in women. The overall CR was 92.7 per 100,000, and the M/I % was 26.9%. The most common cancer sites were the esophagus (987; 18.3%) in men and breast (1,489; 24.5%) in women. Rural residents had higher M/I % (28.5%) than urban residents (24.3%; p = 0.003), indicating later-stage diagnosis and care barriers. The Indian registries recorded the highest incidence of childhood lymphoma among girls.

CONCLUSION

The findings demonstrate the immediate requirement for specific awareness programs and early detection initiatives that should focus on rural regions to decrease Punjab's cancer statistics.