Nearly 5 lakh died due to cancer in 2014: Nadda

New Delhi: Nearly five lakh people died due to cancer in 2014, government today said, attributing the rise to ageing population, unhealthy lifestyles and use of tobacco.

Health Minister J P Nadda informed the Rajya Sabha that as per the data provided by National Cancer Registry Programme of the Indian Council of Medical Research, in 2014, the incidence of cancer was 11,17,269, and the prevalence 30,16,628.

The mortality due to cancer in the same year was 4,91,598 up from 4,78,180, in 2013, he said.

"The increase in the number of cancer cases in the country may be attributed to larger number of ageing population, unhealthy lifestyles, use of tobacco and tobacco products, unhealthy diets, better diagnostic facilities etc," he said.

Nadda noted that cancer survival rate is generally believed to depend upon stages of diagnosis, state of initiation of treatment, type and site of cancer and correct and complete treatment.

He said that the government has approved a scheme in 2013-14 for enhancing the tertiary care cancer facilities in the country and guidelines for strengthening of the facilities were circulated to the states in January 2014 inviting detailed proposals for guidelines.

"42 proposals have been received from various states including Maharashtra," he said.

Replying to another question, he said that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has informed that the Registrar General of India published a report on causes of deaths in India 2001-2003 according to which non communicable diseases are the leading causes of death in the country constituting 42 per cent of all deaths.

"Communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions constitute another 38 per cent of deaths. Injuries and ill-defined causes constitute 10 per cent of deaths each," he said.

Replying to another question, he said that as per the rural health statistics, 2014, the number of public health facilities without own building is 35,389 out of 1,82,709 public health facilities.

He said that since the launch of NRHM, 30,499 new construction works and 32,535 renovation and up-gradation works have been approved.