Telangana facing silent crisis of cancer due abysmally low cancer screening

Telangana is witnessing a surge in late-stage cancer diagnoses due to extremely low screening rates. The 2026 NCDIR report reveals that most cases are detected only after metastasis, with tobacco use and breast, cervical, and oral cancers posing major public health challenges.

Hyderabad: Telangana is facing a silent crisis of delayed detection of cancer cases! The grim scenario in Telangana stems from the fact that cases have climbed every year, while the screening rate has remained abysmally low, leading to late-stage detection, which is literally a death sentence for the patient.

Among men, the most common cancer is oral cancer but only 2.6 percent of men have received a normal oral cavity examination meant to detect such cancers. Among women, breast cancer is the leading cause of malignancy among women. And yet, only 0.3 percent of the women have undergone a clinical breast examination. Just 3.3 percent of women in Telangana have ever been screened for cervical cancer, despite it being the second most common cancer in women.

---

The alarming findings of the Telangana Cancer Burden Profile 2026, released by the ICMR-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) at Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) on Friday, indicated near-total absence of preventive screening among the most vulnerable age groups of 30 to 49 years of individuals.

Because the vast majority of the population is not being screened, cancers are being detected only after they have spread, making treatment significantly more difficult and expensive.

A staggering 55 percent of men and 62 percent of women are diagnosed only at the distant Metastasis stage (stage 4), where the cancer has already spread to other organs, the report said. Tobacco remains the single largest preventable cause of cancer in Telangana state, accounting for 58.8 percent of all male cancers and 29.7 percent of female cancers.

The cumulative effect of these screening failures is a rising tide of new cases that the state’s healthcare infrastructure must now prepare for. In 2026, women in Telangana bear a higher burden with 25,510 estimated new cases, compared to 21,252 for men. The report projects 1,199 new cancer cases among children and adolescents (0 to 19 years) this year alone.

“There is a definite need to strengthen our ability at early detection of cancers, public awareness and ensuring affordable treatment facilities. It is quite clear that cancer is steadily on the rise in Telangana,” Director, NIMS, Prof. Nagari Bheerappa, who released the report, said.

Principal Investigator of the Cancer Registry and Director of MNJ Cancer Hospital, Dr Sadashivudu Gundeti said that a healthy lifestyle, regular health check-ups, and screening programs play a vital role in cancer prevention.

Grim scenario of cancer in Telangana: (2026)

• Adult males (more than 19 years) 21, 252; Women (25, 510)
• In Hyderabad, risk of developing cancer between the ages of 0-74 is 1 in 8.
• NCDs account for 59.2 percent of total disease burden in Telangana
• 55 percent of cancer in males and 62 percent of females present only at Stage 4

Males and Females:

• Males: 58.8 percent of all adult male cancers are tobacco-related.
• Oral Cavity: 15.3 percent; Lung: 9.7 percent; Colorectum: 8.8 percent
• Females: 29.7 percent of cancers are tobacco-related
• Breast Cancer: 27.9 percent; Cervical Cancer: 12.7 percent, Colorectum: 6 percent

Screening Gaps:

• Despite the high prevalence of breast and cervical cancer, screening rates remain very low among women aged 30-49 years:
• Cervical cancer screening: 3.3 percent
• Breast examination: 0.3 percent
• Oral cavity examination: 2.5 percent