Abhishek Shankar: Regional Variations and Inequalities in Testing for Early Detection of Breast and Cervical Cancer
Abhishek Shankar, Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, shared a paper he authored with his colleagues on LinkedIn:
“We are excited to share our latest publication ‘Regional Variations and Inequalities in Testing for Early Detection of Breast and Cervical Cancer: Evidence From a Nationally Representative Survey in India’.
Our study highlighted critical disparities in cancer screening uptake across socioeconomic, regional, and educational lines, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted interventions.
We used data from the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (n = 353,518), and examined the uptake of breast cancer (BC) examination and cervical cancer (CC) testing among Indian women. Our findings revealed a concerningly low uptake, with only 9 per 1,000 women undergoing BC examination and 20 per 1,000 women receiving CC testing.
Women from the richest households had significantly higher screening rates than those from the poorest backgrounds, with socioeconomic inequalities more pronounced in rural areas (RCI: 22.5 for BC and 21.3 for CC). Education also played a crucial role, with higher-educated women being 4.84 times more likely to undergo BC examination and 2.12 times more likely to receive CC testing compared to non-educated women.
Regional disparities were also evident, with the Northeastern region showing the highest socioeconomic inequality, while the Western region exhibited greater education-based disparities.
These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted policies to bridge the gap in early cancer detection services, particularly for lower-educated women and those in rural areas. Strengthening outreach, improving affordability, and addressing social determinants of health are key to ensuring equitable access to life-saving cancer screening programs.
Read the full article to explore our recommendations for reducing these disparities and enhancing cancer prevention efforts in India.
Congratulations to lead author Sarah Krull Abe and other authors for this important publication.”
Authors: Mahfuzur Rahman et al.
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