A Glimpse into the Epidemiology of Geriatric Cancers in India: Report from the Indian Population Based Cancer Registries

Abstract

Introduction: Indian population is aging and the cancer rates are rising. Older adults (OAs)(≥60 years) with cancer require specialized care. However, data on geriatric cancer epidemiology is scarce. Methods: The study compiled the geriatric cancer data from the published reports(2012-2014) of Indian population-based cancer registries(PBCRs). Results: Of the 1,61,363 cancers registered in the Indian PBCRs, 72,446(44.9%) occur in OAs, with 21,805(30.1%), 18,349(25.3%), 14,645(20.2%), and 17,647(24.4%) occurring in 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, and ≥75year age groups. The truncated incidence rates for OAs are 555.9,404.5, and 481.9 for males, females, and OA populations respectively. The common cancers are lung, prostate, and esophagus cancers in males, breast, cervix, and lung in females. The overall common cancers are lung, prostate, and breast. While >50% of the incident cases of prostate, and bladder cancers occurred in OAs, <20% of Hodgkin lymphoma and thyroid cancers occurred in OAs. OA cancer epidemiology has a regional variation, highest in South India and lowest in Western India. Conclusion: The current study quantifies the cancer burden in the Indian geriatric population. Understanding the epidemiology of geriatric cancers is vital to health program planning and implementation. Increased awareness, focused resource allocation, research, and national policies for streamlining care will all help to improve geriatric cancer outcomes.