The number of skin cancer cases in India is rising quickly. While India historically had fewer cases than Western countries, this trend is changing. Several factors contribute to this increase. The number of people ventilated to ultraviolet (UV) rays has increased, and we are to blame for it. In a recent blog titled “Rising Skin Cancer Rates in India: Key Insights for 2025“, it was alternatively remarked that outdoor activity due to globalization exposes people to a greater risk of skin cancer. Additionally, changes in diet and a growing middle class in India are increasing this risk.
Society deems lighter skin more beautiful and, therefore, stresses whitening creams and other products, which tend not to protect much from UV rays. Furthermore, agriculturalists and construction workers are undoubtedly very susceptible to skin damage due to prolonged sun exposure.
As we near 2025, tracking trends to create effective preventive measures and intervention strategies is essential. We should also focus on educational campaigns that teach people about sun safety and improve healthcare services. This approach is key to addressing the growing public health challenge in India.
Current Landscape of Skin Cancer in India
The rate of skin cancer has risen, something that has generally been a worrying factor for many. According to research carried out by knowledgeable specialists, cancer was 1.4 million new cases in India in 2020, and it is expected to reach 1.57 new cases by the end of 2025. This rate of increase is alarming to people as it seems that the distinct communities within the country are being more and more affected. This implies that more people have cancer within the nation.
Melanomas and non-melanomas are the two significant kinds of skin cancer. Still, the former is said to be predominant in northern India, although the latter exists in the northeast. Many factors could lead to avoidable instances of melanoma, and one such reason is genetic; one phenomenon that can get worse with time due to climate change is constant UV exposure. Uh, and through various realizations, we notice that one of the most significant variables is exposure to the sun.
Experts believe that children are particularly vulnerable, so protecting them from the sun is crucial to prevent skin cancer from developing later. It is indeed interesting that less than 1% is claimed to make up for all the skin cancer diagnoses in India. One may wonder how using preventative measures can have a meaningful impact on this and control future instances.
Demographic Changes and Lifestyle Factors
Migration from villages to cities in India is revolutionizing the nation’s social, cultural, and economic fabric. When cities grow, more families drive to beaches, malls, parks, and so on to sunbathe, and I assume they also have money to spare. However, this increases the likelihood of spending more time outdoors without appropriate skin protection. This is known to predispose such individuals to increased harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation that could eventually result in skin cancer.
A social anthropological aspect that necessitates attention to sun exposure is people’s perception of their skin color. It is common to find skin-bleaching products in almost every outlet in India due to dreaming of lighter skin, which sometimes encourages prolonged exposure without sunscreen. As much as darker skin has natural protection against some forms of skin cancer, the fetish for lighter skin tends to cause more harm than good. All people must be educated on proper sun exposure principles and how best to care for their skin during recreational outdoor pursuits.
Occupational Hazards
Some professions tend to have an increasing risk of developing skin cancer, especially those that are outdoors all the time. Among these occupations are farming, construction, and landscaping work, where the risk is even higher. Such employees usually do not have a hat, sunscreen, and long sleeves to guarantee protection from the sun’s harmful rays. Furthermore, many need to be sufficiently informed about sun protection measures. Hence, employers in these outdoor jobs must inform the employees about sun safety and offer the means to help reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Challenges in Detection and Diagnosis
Numerous individuals need to be more knowledgeable about the disease. Therefore, skin cancer is a significant issue that lacks the attention required. Early detection usually relies on people looking for abnormalities that may or may not be visible, which poses a challenge. For instance, students at a college do not have adequate information about skin cancer risks and prevention strategies. In addition, there are areas where there is a shortage of healthcare workers who deal with skin ailments; hence, the availability of treatments becomes an issue. This, coupled with a lack of awareness on the topic, increases the susceptibility towards effective prevention or treatment of the disease. This condition needs more attention and education for people’s understanding.
Projected Statistics for 2025
Cancer patient forecast rate per the experts is assumed that in 2025, there will be around 12.8% more cancer patients than in 2020 in India. This means more patients are likely to be affected, and the number of new incidences expected in 2022 is approximately 14,61,427. This scenario is grave and suggests the need for improved strategies that can help reduce the cancer burden and enhance early detection of cancer. Since cancer is a growing cause of morbidity, more people must join the effort to design better health policies and initiatives. This will help to prevent more diseases and provide early treatment to prevent severe illnesses.
Prevention Strategies
We aim to minimize the rate of skin cancer by implementing a few innovative approaches, which are:
- Awareness Campaigns: Doctors, nurses, and others should embark on basic education on skin cancer to detect this disease early. As more people become knowledgeable, they will likely recognize the problem early enough and seek improved help.
- Encouragement of Sun Safe Practices: People should know when to stay in the shadows, what clothes to wear, and when to apply sunscreen. These measures help protect the skin from dangerous rays.
- Safety Standards for Workers: We need policies that ensure outdoor employees have adequate sun protection gear and regular skin checks.
- Getting Patients to Skin Physicians: Enhancing rural populations’ access to dermatologists is crucial. This entails increasing the number of doctors capable of diagnosing and managing skin cancer at an early stage.
The Role of Government and Policy Makers
Experts believe more campaigns and awareness should be created worldwide to prevent and ease the effects of skin cancer since the number of people suffering from it is alarming. To begin with, skin cancer programs should be allocated resources to reach out and educate people on how to avoid getting skin cancer while protecting themselves from the sun. This includes telling people to apply sun lotion and wear protective clothing.
Another precaution that should be implemented is to bring restrictions to the ladies who work under the sun. Further, incorporating skin cancer screening with standard medical checkups will also be useful as skin cancer can be diagnosed early; hence, treatment is effective. Few people have been screened for skin cancer, so improving these campaigns or programs can save more lives.
Conclusion
The intense increase in the number of people being affected with skin cancer in India that we see today is an awful sight and trend, especially as we continue to progress into the year 2025, a decade that people view quite optimistically for the country. Multiple factors have led to this increase. A shift in people’s lifestyles, occupational sun exposure, cultures, and how they see the sun. Adverse skin ray effects are unknown to many, and that leads to such consequences as skin cancer. Rising sun safety awareness through public relations campaigns can effectively tackle this. Employing sun-safe practices, enhancing workplace practices, and increasing healthcare accessibility are preventative measures we can collaborate on to decrease skin cancer prevalence and improve our community’s health overall.
Sources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10231735/
https://www.wcrf.org/preventing-cancer/cancer-statistics/skin-cancer-statistics/
https://cancercontrol.cancer.gov/ocs/statistics
https://www.aad.org/media/stats-skin-cancer
https://assets.gov.ie/250831/096f02fe-72d5-4f7f-9849-f9518d55f4c2.pdf