Cancer appointments increases to 94% in India
Cancer cases in India have doubled in recent years. According to reports, India's cancer incidence was estimated at 1.15 million new patients in 2018 and is predicted to almost double by 2040. Karnataka is in the top five states in India, when it comes to reporting new cancer cases every year. For every one lakh men and women, there are 113.4 and 139.1 cancer cases diagnosed respectively. This average is greater than that of New Delhi and Mumbai.
Practo insights corroborate this fact that the appointment bookings for Oncologists in Bangalore grew by 44% in the last year while Mumbai and Delhi NCR saw an increase of 23% and 19% respectively.
Additionally, there has been a 95% increase in the number of people searching about cancer on Practo as compared to last year. Our insights indicate that there's an increased awareness among people regarding cancer and the need for timely medical assistance from a qualified specialist.
According to recent Practo Insights report, oral cancer emerged as one of the most discussed cancer-related topics last year. It is a major public health problem in India where it ranks among the top three types of cancers in the country. It accounts for over 30% of all cancers reported in the country. India has one third of oral cancer cases in the world.
Bangalore, Mumbai, Lucknow, Indore, Chennai and Kolkata are the cities where the search for Oral cancer is higher than the others.
Dr Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer, Practo, said, "Digital is helping healthcare get to grips with patients' evolving expectations and experience. Reports indicate that India is likely to register over 17 lakh new cancer cases and eight lakh deaths by 2020. It's important to tap into technology, especially for early detection and access to high quality care that are critical in oncology care."
Dr Sandeep Nayak, Director, Department of Surgical Oncology, Fortis Cancer Institute, Bangalore, said, "It is true that the incidence of cancer is increasing. People are seeking online opinions and this has resulted in tremendous demand for online information. It is the responsibility of the medical fraternity to provide the right content online to help people."
Dr Dhruv Kacker, Cofounder, Aaroogya (MDS, Prosthodontist) said, "The most important element of prevention is self awareness which is reaching a vast audience and making them understand the need for proper medical examinations. Our outreach is multiplied by partnering with digital healthcare platforms like Practo which acts two ways - digital mode to create awareness, and give proper medical solutions with relevant doctors by analysing the trends of cancers across geography and timeline."
