Could environmental pollution be behind the rise in cancers in India?

In Focus by The Hindu · Mar 28, 2025 · 32m

Cancers are rising and rising fast in India. The Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Cancer Registry Programme estimated a 12% increase between 2020 and 2025. This year, cancer numbers were estimated to hit 15.7 lakh. A worrying trend in this rise, is the spike in cancer cases among young persons. We know of and we are battling risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption and obesity and while these are still responsible for a significant chunk of cancers in India, other factors such as environmental pollution are now also beginning to play a role. Air pollution, forever…