ICMR report shows that only 28.5% of cancer patients in India get radiotherapy, whereas the requirement is that about 58.4% patients should get this treatment i.e., almost double. How can this deficiency be overcome? Know why radiotherapy is so important in this article.

Radiotherapy machine shortage in India: Cancer treatment in India is still facing many challenges. The recent report of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has revealed the shocking truth that radiotherapy is not being used on a large scale in the treatment of cancer in the country. This shows that there is a huge shortage of use of radiotherapy in comparison to the increasing rate of cancer in India, due to which patients are not able to get timely and proper treatment.

The report also emphasises that the government and health institutions must increase investment in radiotherapy resources for cancer treatment. As per WHO standards, there should be at least 1 radiotherapy machine per million population – the target is 4 per million. India’s projected population will be around 1.45 billion by 2025. So we need at least 1,450 machines. The ICMR study suggests we will need a total of 1,585 to 2,545 machines, sometimes going up to 2,016 to 2,291.

Only 28.5% patients are getting radiotherapy

Cancer is the fifth biggest cause of death in the country. A report published in a well-known magazine called BMC Cancer states that only 28.5 percent of cancer patients in India are given radiotherapy, while 58.4 percent of patients need it. That means less than half the patients are able to get this treatment, which is becoming a major obstacle in the control and treatment of cancer.

In which cancer cases is radiotherapy necessary?

The report also states that in India, about 60 percent of breast cancer, head and neck cancer, lung cancer and cervical cancer require radiotherapy. These are all very common and rapidly spreading forms of cancer in whose treatment radiotherapy plays an important role.

There is a huge shortage of machines and resources are needed

ICMR researchers believe that there is a huge shortage of resources to provide radiotherapy facilities in India, such as machines and trained technicians. This shortage is further increasing the disparity in treatment between urban and rural areas. Lack of machines and staff has become a serious problem, especially in government hospitals.

What steps can be taken?

• Add radiotherapy facilities to government health schemes.
• Develop indigenous machine technology to reduce expensive imports.
• Accelerate cancer screening and early detection programmes so that patients can receive treatment earlier.
• Establish radiotherapy centres even away from states and big cities to increase access to services.
• Increase the number of machines, qualified resectologists, physicists and technicians in existing cancer hospitals.