India Needs National Strategy to Bridge Gap Between Cancer Innovation and Patient Access, Experts Urge
核心洞察
India reports an estimated 1.4–1.5 million new cancer (搜索) cases and nearly 900,000 cancer-related deaths annually, yet advanced therapies remain accessible only at a handful of tertiary hospitals.
Immunotherapy (搜索), targeted therapy (搜索), precision oncology, ADCs, and CAR-T cell therapy (搜索) are transforming outcomes, but costs of several lakh rupees per course place them beyond most households.
Experts at an Indian Cancer Society (搜索) roundtable called for health technology assessments, wider insurance coverage, and inclusion of proven therapies under Ayushman Bharat (搜索) to reduce out-of-pocket expenditure.
A new generation of cancer (搜索) therapies—immunotherapy (搜索), targeted therapy (搜索), precision oncology, antibody-drug conjugates (搜索) (ADCs), CAR-T cell therapy (搜索), and molecular diagnostics—is fundamentally reshaping oncology care, enabling many patients to live longer with a better quality of life. Yet for the estimated 1.4 to 1.5 million Indians diagnosed with cancer each year, these breakthroughs remain largely confined to a handful of tertiary hospitals and accessible only to those who can afford them.
Speaking at a media roundtable organised by the Indian Cancer Society (搜索) (ICS) on June 30 to mark Cancer (搜索) Survivor Month, leading oncologists, cancer survivors, and public health experts called for a coordinated national strategy that bridges the gap between scientific breakthroughs and equitable access.
The Promise of Modern Oncology
Cancer (搜索) treatment has moved decisively away from the traditional one-size-fits-all approach of chemotherapy toward therapies tailored to the biological characteristics of individual tumours. Immunotherapy (搜索) helps the body's immune system recognise and destroy cancer cells, while targeted therapies attack specific genetic mutations that drive tumour growth. Precision oncology combines genomic testing with personalised treatment decisions. Antibody-drug conjugates (搜索) deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells while minimising damage to healthy tissues, and CAR-T cell therapy (搜索) genetically engineers a patient's own immune cells to fight certain blood cancers.
"Cancer (搜索) is treatable if detected at an early stage," said Dr. Ajay Gogia, Professor of Medical Oncology at the Dr. BRAI Rotary Cancer Hospital, AIIMS, Delhi, adding that advances in oncology have also improved outcomes for many patients with Stage IV disease. Dr. Gogia emphasised that the future of oncology lies not in simply prescribing the newest drug but in identifying the right treatment for the right patient. "Precision medicine, supported by scientific evidence and appropriate patient selection, enables us to improve outcomes while making better use of healthcare resources," he said.
The Cost Barrier
Despite the clinical promise, the financial reality for most Indian families is stark. Many targeted therapies and immunotherapy (搜索) drugs cost several lakh rupees for a single course of treatment. Cellular therapies such as CAR-T treatment can cost several times more, placing them beyond the reach of most households. Out-of-pocket expenditure continues to dominate cancer (搜索) care in India, forcing many families into severe financial distress.
The roundtable highlighted the predicament of what experts described as the "missing middle"—middle-class families who earn too much to qualify for publicly funded schemes but too little to absorb the costs of prolonged cancer (搜索) treatment. Mona, who is caring for her mother undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, shared that her family falls squarely into this category. "We are neither below the poverty line nor wealthy. We pay taxes but are not eligible for any financial assistance from the government. I want my mother to receive the best treatment available, but the newer therapies are prohibitively expensive. Our savings are getting exhausted very fast," she said.
Her experience, oncologists noted, reflects the situation of thousands of middle-class households for whom a cancer (搜索) diagnosis quickly becomes not only a medical crisis but also a financial one, with repeated expenses on medicines, diagnostic tests, hospital visits, and travel pushing families into debt. "Between the affluent and the poorest lies the middle class, which is often just one major illness away from financial catastrophe," experts observed.
Screening Efforts and Early Detection
The discussion coincided with figures shared by Union Health Minister JP Nadda on the same day, revealing that more than 35 crore people have been screened for oral cancer (搜索), over 16 crore women for breast cancer, and more than nine crore women for cervical cancer under the national programme for non-communicable diseases. The programme has identified over 2.3 lakh oral cancer cases, more than 86,000 breast cancers, and nearly one lakh cervical cancers.
A Call for Systemic Reform
Experts at the roundtable stressed that India does not have to choose between innovation and affordability. Instead, they recommended prioritising treatments that offer the greatest clinical benefit and are supported by strong scientific evidence. Greater use of Health Technology Assessment could help governments identify therapies that offer the greatest survival benefit relative to cost and prioritise them for public funding.
The panel also called for stronger health technology assessments, wider insurance coverage, and the gradual inclusion of proven cancer (搜索) therapies under government-funded schemes such as Ayushman Bharat (搜索) to reduce patients' out-of-pocket expenses. They encouraged greater collaboration in clinical research, noting that India has the expertise and diverse patient population needed to generate evidence supporting wider access to innovative therapies.
Combating Misinformation
The experts also highlighted the growing problem of misinformation circulating on social media, saying misleading claims frequently delay evidence-based treatment. Responsible public communication, they said, has an important role in encouraging timely diagnosis and countering myths surrounding cancer (搜索).
In addition to expanding treatment access, the panel urged policymakers to strengthen cancer (搜索) prevention through tobacco control, HPV and Hepatitis B vaccination, early diagnosis, and organised screening programmes. They concluded that collaboration among the government, healthcare institutions, researchers, industry, and patient groups is essential to make quality cancer care more accessible and affordable for all.
Summing up the discussion, experts said India's next challenge is not developing newer cancer (搜索) therapies but ensuring equitable access to the right treatment for every patient, regardless of where they live or what they can afford.