India’s Cancer Crisis: Only 28.5% of Patients Get Radiotherapy, ICMR Study Exposes Gaps
A monumental study published on July 27, 2025, by the Indian Council of Medical Research( ICMR), shocked India’s healthcare ecosystem. The study found that only 28.5% of cancer patients received radiotherapy when the ideal rate of patients receiving radiotherapy was 58.4% . Published in BMC Cancer, the study was led by ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) in Bengaluru and highlights extreme deficiencies in the number of radiotherapy machines in India, and inequitable access to treatment. With India projected to have 1.57 million cancer cases by the end of 2025, India’s deficiencies must be recognized as a public health crisis. As breast, lung, and cervical cancer rates explode, why is India’s cancer care falling short, and how can we address this deadly disparity? Let’s look at the findings that demand action!
A Stark Gap in Cancer Care
The report of the ICMR also included citations of the National Cancer Registry Programme data and Australia’s CCORE in placing an additional negative interpretation on these data: only 28.5% of India’s cancer patients receive radiotherapy, an essential treatment for controlling tumours, decreasing tumor size before surgery, or relieving pain by shrinking or removing them in advanced stages of the disease. Only 58.4% of Indian patients will ever receive the optimal treatment and while this may seem grim compared to Canada or Australia for instance (48.3% or Europe – 51%), the explanation can be reduced to late stage disease when presented for clinical evaluation increases the need for radiotherapy. The demands are also based on Breasts, head and neck, lung and cervical cancers accounting for more than 60% of demand, however, access to treatment is most sparse for lymphoma (or lung cancer) when over 70% of patients receiving treatment will not access radiation therapy. The @WIONews report summarizes the gaps having found that “only half the people who need radiotherapy receive it.”
The Equipment Crisis
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one radiotherapy machine for every million people is a safe margin although four is more ideal. By WHO standards, 2025 would mean that India’s population of 1.45 billion would be at a modest level of radiotherapy capacity with 1,450 machines, or at a more optimal level with 1,585 to 2,545 machines. However, as of now, India only has 794 megavoltage machines representing only 55% of the minimum recommended number of machines. The Linear Accelerator Shortage Index (LSI) is at 256 indicating that there remains a gap in capacity given an increase of machines by 18% since 2020. Our study also estimates that a investment of $64.2 to $81.7 million would be required to meet demand for 2,241 machines, 4,034 radiation oncologists, 2,241 medical physicists, and 6,732 therapists. The uneven distribution of machines adds to the challenge, where there has not been a strong indication that rural areas have sufficient radiotherapy capacity, @newstapworld.
Rising Cancer Burden
India is the third most prevalent country for cancer in the world after China and the USA, with 7% of cancer cases worldwide. 1.57 million new cases of cancer are expected to occur by December 2025, making it the 5th most frequent cause of death. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) predicted an increase in breast, head and neck, and lung cancers in poor and middle income countries such as India by 70-100% due to both the lifestyle and aging populations. In its own report, the ICMR estimated 1.4 million new cases of cancer in 2022, and that mortality rates due to cancer will increase from 64.7% to 109.6% by 2050. Late-stage diagnosis of lymphoma and prostate cancer continue to worsen the radiotherapy gap to survivorship.
Political and Policy Implications
The ICMR’s findings emerge amidst a heated debate in the heated debates of the 2025 Monsoon Session of Parliament where access to health care has been a flashpoint. The government’s National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer (NPCDCS) and Ayushman Bharat Yojana aims to strengthen screening and treatment of cancer and commit to planning of 200 Day Care Cancer Centres by 2026. Customs duties on 36 life-saving cancer drugs have been eliminated, which is progress on the administrative and resource front, but the shortfall of radiotherapy needs to be addressed as well. The lack of access to data from the MHA concerning the CAA and other national policies has further diminished trust in the public sector of the health care system; the access gap now means further scrutiny. In this case, the opposition parties might use this long-standing issue with inequitable access to zoning the BJP’s public health policies more broadly, especially as rural voters are impacted the most.
Solutions on the Horizon
The ICMR recommends a multi-pronged strategy: scaling infrastructure for radiotherapy, designing affordable indigenous machines, and developing early detection processes to reduce treatment requirements. The establishment of the Robotic Stereotactic Radiotherapy Program at Apollo Cancer Centres, and the development of the Elekta Harmony System at CHL Hospitals Indore exhibit innovation from the private sector, but costs and specialized training/education create challenges for radiotherapy in the rural areas. Advances in AI driven radiotherapy planning, alongside advances in precision treatment like IMRT, could improve patient outcomes in India, but the study’s authors conclude equitable access is essential. @JagranNews Hindi report, calls for urgent policy action to address India’s 28% access rate.
What’s Next?
The cancer care crisis in India needs urgent action. We need the government to invest in radiotherapy facilities; train specialists; and increase screening. Without action, the current cancer care system will be overwhelmed with the estimated 1.57 million cases in 2025. As parliamentarians debate national priorities in advance of the Monsoon Session in July 2023, this issue may influence their thinking about healthcare and even political narratives. For patients and their families, cancer is a life and death issue; this is one story that no one can ignore.
