Cervical cancer on decline yet remains 2nd common among Chennai women
CHENNAI: The incidence of cervical cancer has declined in Chennai, according to Tamil Nadu Cancer Registry Project report statistics for the year 2018 by the Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar and the state health department, which was released by the end of 2023.
The Crude Incidence Rate (CIR), number of cases per lakh population, of cervical cancer in Chennai has come down from 29.6 in 1987-91 to 13 in 2018. The CIR in Chennai is lower than the state’s CIR of 17.7.
Dharmapuri had the highest CIR of 36.2 for cervical cancer, followed by Perambalur (36.0), and Ariyalur (29.9). Kanniyakumari had the lowest of 7.2. Figures to compare the long-term trend are not available for other districts since the cancer registry project was implemented in other parts of the state much later.
Despite the decline in the incidence in Chennai, cervical cancer continues to be the second most common cancer among the women in the city, after breast cancer.
WIA’s assistant director Dr R Swaminathan, who is also head of the department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Cancer Registry said, factors such as improved personal hygiene, late marriages, less number of children, and screening are likely to have contributed to the decrease in cervical cancer.
Dr P Sampath, assistant professor in the same department said more studies should be conducted to know the risk factors for cervical cancer. Regular screening should be done and awareness and vaccination should be promoted among school students, he added.
In contrast, the incidence of breast cancer seems to be on the rise in Chennai, according to the report, with one in 17 people at risk. The CIR for breast cancer in Chennai, which was 16.6 in 1987-91, jumped to 52.1 in 2018. This is nearly double of the state’s figure of 27.
Dr Swaminathan said early menarche, late menopause, no breastfeeding, and first childbirth at a later age are some of the risk factors for breast cancer. He added while cervical cancer is decreasing in all districts, breast cancer is increasing.
With a CIR of 35.5, Coimbatore had the second highest incidence of breast cancer, followed by Kanniyakumari (34.3). Ariyalur had the lowest of 12.2.
The CIR for all types of cancer for Chennai stands at 145.3 whereas the same is 96.1 for the whole state. According to the report, the state had 77,138 observed cases of cancer, which is projected to have increased to 88,750 by the end of 2022.