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The Government of Telangana has declared cancer a notifiable disease, making it mandatory for all public and private healthcare facilities to report every diagnosed cancer case to a designated state portal within one month. The initiative aims to improve cancer surveillance, generate reliable epidemiological data and strengthen evidence-based public health planning.

What is a Notifiable Disease?

A notifiable disease is a disease that is mandatorily reported by healthcare providers to government authorities under the law. Disease notification enables continuous surveillance, early detection, monitoring of disease trends and timely public health interventions.

In India, the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 provides the legal framework for disease notification, while State Governments determine which diseases are notified within their jurisdictions.

Commonly notified diseases include Tuberculosis, Dengue, Malaria, Cholera, Hepatitis, Measles and Polio. During the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 was declared a notifiable disease across the country.

Telangana's New Initiative

Under the new policy:

• Every diagnosed cancer case must be reported within one month.
• Reporting is mandatory for both government and private healthcare institutions.
• The data will be validated by the Centre of Excellence – MNJ Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad.
• Validated information will be integrated with the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
• The initiative seeks to accurately map cancer incidence, mortality and geographical distribution across the State.

Why is this Initiative Important?

India currently does not classify cancer as a nationally notifiable disease. Consequently, reliable nationwide cancer surveillance remains limited.

The present system relies primarily on:

• Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs), which estimate cancer incidence within defined populations.
• Hospital-Based Cancer Registries (HBCRs), which collect information from hospitals for clinical and research purposes.

However, these registries collectively cover only 10–16% of India's population and are largely concentrated in urban and public-sector institutions, resulting in significant under-reporting, particularly from the private healthcare sector.

Recognising this gap, 17 States, including Telangana, have independently notified cancer under their respective public health frameworks.

National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP)

The National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) was launched by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 1981 to systematically collect, analyse and disseminate data on cancer incidence, mortality and survival across India.

It functions through two major components:

• Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) – Monitor cancer occurrence in defined populations.
• Hospital-Based Cancer Registries (HBCRs) – Record detailed clinical information on patients treated in hospitals.

The programme is implemented by the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru, under the ICMR.

Concerns with Existing Cancer Surveillance

Despite continuous improvements, several challenges persist:

• Limited population coverage (10–16%).
• Under-reporting from the private healthcare sector.
• Urban-centric registry network with inadequate rural representation.
• Delayed reporting affecting policy formulation.
• Incomplete mortality and survival statistics.

These limitations hinder accurate estimation of India's cancer burden and resource allocation.

Cancer Burden in India

According to the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), affiliated with the World Health Organization (WHO):

• India recorded approximately 1.41 million cancer cases in 2022.
• The number is projected to increase to nearly 2.46 million by 2045, representing a rise of over 74%.

The increase is attributed to:

• Ageing population.
• Rising life expectancy.
• Lifestyle changes.
• Urbanisation.
• Increased prevalence of risk factors such as tobacco use, obesity and physical inactivity.