Hyderabad: Telangana is witnessing a steady rise in cancer cases, with the disease now diagnosed roughly every 10 minutes in the state and claiming a life approximately every 18 minutes.
The figures emerge from projections presented in the Rajya Sabha on March 10 by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav, based on estimates by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
29,300 cancer deaths in 2025
According to the data, Telangana recorded 53,565 new cancer cases and 29,300 deaths in 2025.
The numbers translate to an average of 147 new diagnoses every day, or six every hour. The death toll corresponds to about 80 deaths daily, or three every hour.
Put differently, during a standard eight-hour workday, the state sees around 48 new cancer diagnoses and about 27 deaths linked to the disease.
The projections tabled in Parliament cover a five-year period between 2021 and 2025 and indicate a gradual but consistent increase in both cases and deaths. In 2021, Telangana recorded 48,775 new cancer cases and 26,681 deaths.
By 2025, those figures had risen to 53,565 cases and 29,300 deaths.
Annual growth rate in new cancer cases remains same
Despite the increase in absolute numbers, the proportion of diagnosed patients who die, often referred to as the death ratio, has remained unchanged during this period. It stood at 54.7 per cent in 2021 and remained the same in 2025.
The annual growth rate in new cancer cases has also remained relatively stable. Between 2021 and 2022, cases grew by 2.47 per cent.
The rate slowed slightly to 2.32 per cent between 2022 and 2023 and remained at the same level between 2023 and 2024. Between 2024 and 2025, the increase edged up to 2.35 per cent.
Over the five years from 2021 to 2025, Telangana recorded a cumulative 2,55,802 cancer cases and 1,39,895 deaths. That means 1,15,907 people diagnosed during this period remain alive and continue to require medical care, treatment, and follow-up monitoring.
Each year, the state adds roughly 1,200 new cancer cases compared with the previous year, along with around 620 additional deaths.
Telangana’s cancer burden higher than national average
In terms of incidence rates, Telangana’s burden remains higher than the national average.
The projected cancer incidence rate across India in 2025 stands at 1,165 cases per 10 lakh people. Telangana’s incidence rate is estimated at 1,338 per 10 lakh, about 15 per cent higher.
The state accounts for about 2.97 per cent of India’s population but contributes 3.37 per cent of the country’s cancer deaths in 2025.
Nationally, the death ratio stands at 55.3 per cent, slightly higher than Telangana’s 54.7 per cent.
How is Andhra faring in cancer cases?
Neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, which was carved out as a separate state in 2014, also shows a significant cancer burden. In 2025, Andhra Pradesh recorded 78,282 new cases compared with Telangana’s 53,565.
However, Andhra Pradesh has a higher incidence rate of 1,470 cases per 10 lakh population, compared with Telangana’s 1,338. The death ratio in Andhra Pradesh is estimated at 54.9 per cent, marginally higher than Telangana’s 54.7 per cent.
Since 2021, Telangana has added 4,790 cases to its annual cancer count, while Andhra Pradesh has added 6,312 cases during the same period.
What did the govt say about cancer agents?
In his reply to Parliament, Jadhav also cited findings from an ICMR review published in 2025 that examined possible environmental links to cancer. According to the minister, “The contamination of water sources by pollutants like industrial waste, pesticides, heavy metals and pharmaceuticals is a significant public health concern.”
He further noted that the review provides ‘a critical analysis of the current evidence, summarising the association of water contamination, including industrial waste, pesticides, heavy metals, with rectal and colorectal cancer.’
National schemes aim to expand cancer care infrastructure
To address the rising burden of cancer, the Union government has implemented several initiatives aimed at strengthening treatment infrastructure and expanding access to care.
Under the ‘Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Facilities Scheme’, 19 State Cancer Institutes and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres have been approved across the country. In addition, the Tata Memorial Centre has established six hospitals in Varanasi, Visakhapatnam, New Chandigarh, Guwahati, Sangrur and Muzaffarpur.
Cancer treatment facilities have also been approved at all 22 newly established All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar in Haryana and a second campus of the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata have been set up to support advanced cancer diagnosis, treatment and research.
The Union Budget for 2025-26 also approved the establishment of 297 Day Care Cancer Centres across the country to decentralise treatment services and improve access to chemotherapy and supportive care closer to patients’ homes.
Jadhav informed the Rajya Sabha that anti-cancer medicines have been included in the Essential Drugs List at district and sub-divisional hospitals under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases.
Cancer treatment is also covered under the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme, which provides financial coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for hospitalisation.
In addition, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana and AMRIT pharmacies have been established to provide cancer medicines, stents and implants at reduced prices.
Faster diagnoses of cancer
Meanwhile, the time gap between cancer diagnoses in Telangana has gradually narrowed. In 2021, the state recorded one new cancer case every 10.78 minutes. By 2025, that interval had reduced to 9.80 minutes.
Between 2024 and 2025 alone, Telangana reported 1,231 additional cancer cases and 676 additional deaths compared with the previous year, reflecting a continuing increase in the state’s cancer burden.
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