Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Competing-Risk Nomogram for Predicting Cancer-Specific Survival in Multiple Primary Colorectal Cancer Patients after Surgery
Published on: September 27, 2024
Epidemiology of cancers among older adults in India: findings from the National Cancer Registry Programme
J Sankarapillai1, S Krishnan1, T Ramamoorthy1
1Indian Council of Medical Research - National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, Nirmal Bhawan-ICMR Complex (II Floor), Poojanahalli, Kannamangala Post, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 562110, India(a).
Objective:
This study describes the epidemiology, clinical extent of disease at diagnosis and treatment modalities of cancer among older adults (aged 60 years and older) in India.
Study Design:
Secondary data analysis of the National Cancer Registry Programme, which includes 28 Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) and 96 Hospital-Based Cancer Registries (HBCRs).
Methods:
PBCR data were used to estimate the incidence in terms of crude rate (CR), age-adjusted incidence rate (AAR), age-specific rate (ASpR) and cumulative risk. Trends in the AAR were calculated with the Annual Percentage Change (APC) using join-point regression. HBCR data were used to describe the clinical extent of the disease at diagnosis and the treatment modalities.
Results:
There is a wide heterogeneity across the country for the incidence of cancer and for the leading cancer sites among older adults. Males had a higher incidence rate compared to females in the majority of the registries. Aizawl had the highest AARs among both genders (males: 1388.8; females: 1033.0). Females had the highest ASpR at 65-69 years (482.8), whereas for males it was above 75 years (710.4). Cervical, stomach and oesophageal cancers were on the decline. The incidence of cancer among older adults was estimated to increase by 13.5% in 2025 as compared to 2020.
Conclusion:
The increasing cancer incidence among older adults in India poses a huge burden on the health system. There is a need to increase their participation in clinical trials, advocating comprehensive geriatric assessment and strengthening geriatric oncology within programs addressing older adult's care to deal with the rising cancer burden on the health system borne by them.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Prevention
Some...
Cancer Survival Analysis
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health...
Statistical Methods for Analyzing Epidemiological Data
Introduction to Epidemiology
Bias in Epidemiological Studies

