Cancer prevention, early detection must be central to healthcare strategy
Medical experts are advocating for a shift in India's healthcare strategy toward routine cancer screening rather than symptom-based diagnosis. Data shows a significant increase in preventive diagnostic tests, signaling growing public awareness.
Why it matters
Early detection is a critical factor in improving cancer survival rates and reducing the long-term burden on the healthcare system.
Cancer prevention and early detection must become central to India’s healthcare strategy, with greater emphasis on routine screening rather than symptom-driven diagnosis, leading oncologists, radiologists and laboratory experts said during a webinar on “Prevention and Early Detection of Cancer” organised by Mahajan Imaging & Labs.
Reinforcing this shift towards preventive healthcare, the diagnostic network reported a 32% increase in cancer-related diagnostic investigations across its centres in Delhi-NCR between June 2025 and June 2026.
The data also showed a growing uptake of preventive screening for key cancers. Pap smear tests increased by 83%, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests by 280%, and mammography examinations by 26%, reflecting greater participation in age-appropriate screening among both women and men.
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