The Supreme Court issued an order obligating 19 states and union territories of the country to classify cancer as a 'Notifiable Disease.' The court was informed that only 17 out of all states and union territories had included cancer in the list of such diseases, so the remaining regions were directed to maintain official records of the illness.
A Notifiable Disease is a condition whose information is legally required for hospitals, doctors, and laboratories to provide to the government or health authorities. In India, this list includes dengue fever, malaria, tuberculosis, AIDS, and other diseases for which statistical data is collected.
According to an MR report, 1,461,427 new cases of cancer were registered in India in 2023, and this figure is growing annually. Maintaining a record of every cancer case is critical for the government to receive accurate data on the total number of patients with this disease.
Imagine a situation where the number of cancer cases sharply increases in one area. This information is recorded in various hospitals and medical institutions and sent to the government. However, if cancer cases are also rising in another state, but the disease is not a 'Notifiable Disease,' it will be difficult for the government to understand the real picture of morbidity in that region. But with accurate data, it is possible to determine which areas are seeing an increase in cancer cases, which types of cancer are more common, and where patients have limited access to diagnosis or treatment. This information can subsequently play a key role in developing cancer-related healthcare programs. The most significant advantage is the ability to implement a unified policy for cancer prevention and screening across the country.
The National Cancer Registry Program (NCRP) already operates in India and plays an important role in understanding trends and patterns of cancer diseases. Nevertheless, it currently provides very limited data. Unified and complete data from all parts of the country are missing, and information about the real situation of cancer in rural areas and many states is restricted. Furthermore, a large number of patients undergo examinations and treatment in private hospitals, diagnostic centers, and pathology laboratories, and information from these institutions is not systematically integrated into the national system.
Geetana Govil, president of the Indian Oncological Society, told Aaj Tak.in that mandatory reporting of cancer cases is necessary for the government to obtain accurate patient statistics. It is also crucial that cancer data is standardized across different states. If cancer registration methods differ between states, comparing statistics between these states becomes difficult. Therefore, a single national system is required, clearly defining what case will be registered, who will provide the information, within what timeframe, and in what format.
Geetana Govil noted that the issue of mandatory directives from the central government, raised by the court, is of great importance. The benefit of notification will increase when we have a unified national system that allows for the comparison of data from different states and makes them compatible, as well as strengthens the National Cancer Registry Program.
The benefit of accurate data will not only be felt by the government. It will directly affect patient medical care. If there is an increased level of a specific type of cancer in any area, then screening and early diagnosis services can be strengthened in that location. Hospitals, diagnostic centers, oncologists, and treatment facilities can be developed according to needs. Similarly, in areas where patients are diagnosed late, priority can be given to awareness and early detection programs.
