Now Reading: Lung cancer is 6% of Karnataka’s new cancer cases, KMIO data shows
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Lung cancer is 6% of Karnataka’s new cancer cases, KMIO data shows
Lung cancer accounts for over 6% of new cancer cases in Karnataka, according to data from the state-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. Of 13,576 new cancer cases diagnosed at KMIO in…
The Story in Brief
Lung cancer accounts for over 6% of new cancer cases in Karnataka, according to data from the state-run Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. Of 13,576 new cancer cases diagnosed at KMIO in 2025, 836 were lung cancer, including 260 women. The disease constitutes 9% of cancers in men and 3.6% in women at the institute. State estimates project 89,215 total cancer cases in Karnataka for 2025, with 5,503 lung cancer cases and 2,048 deaths, the data shows.
Tobacco remains the biggest preventable risk factor, said KMIO director R. Krishnappa, though air pollution, occupational carcinogens and indoor smoke also contribute. Bengaluru alone is estimated to record 1,028 lung cancer cases and 363 deaths in 2025. Early detection remains a challenge as symptoms are often non-specific. India projects 1,12,659 new lung cancer cases and 98,687 deaths for 2024.
The Indian Opinion
The numbers are stark, but not new. Tobacco's role is undisputed, yet the focus on individual choice lets state inaction on air quality and workplace safety off the hook. Dr Krishnappa himself names pollution and asbestos as contributors. Karnataka's estimated 2,048 lung cancer deaths in 2025 will test whether the state enforces its own tobacco-control laws with the same vigour it analyses hospital data.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
