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  • Home > Blog > Research News > India to Screen Entire Population for Cancer, Hidden Mesothelioma Cases May be Revealed
Posted on Monday, Dec 19, 2011

India to Screen Entire Population for Cancer, Hidden Mesothelioma Cases May be Revealed

India’s union health minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, told the Rajya Sabha (India’s Council of States, or the upper house of the Parliament of India), that the government will screen all 1.25 billion citizens of India for cancer, heart disease and diabetes, in the next five years.  While this major undertaking is being met with consternation by many, for the millions of residents who have been exposed to asbestos, mesothelioma screenings could improve treatment options for patients and improve their quality of life while battling the cancer.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare, fatal form of cancer caused specifically by exposure to asbestos. Most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after exposure.  Early detection improves survival chances, but most often diagnoses are not made until symptoms appear and the disease has progressed to an advanced stage leaving the patient with life-threatening complications.

India, which uses asbestos extensively in products and construction, has not historically tracked mesothelioma cases. India is known to have poor worker safety laws and continues to contribute to the growing global mesothelioma burden by failing to admit to the mesothelioma-causing properties of the mineral, according to a study published early this year in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Azad said that the government has launched a pilot project across 100 districts in 21 states for “prevention and control of cancer, cardio-vascular diseases, stroke, and diabetes.”  He adds, “India will be the first country in the world to screen the entire population in the next five years.”  Although details of how and where the screenings will be conducted were not released, Azad said the equipment and the chemotherapy will be provided by the union health ministry.

Major Gen (Retd) M. Srivastava, VSM, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers assessor, commented that while this is a “good initiative,” it requires “comprehensive operational and logistical planning.”

Screening tests for mesothelioma may include:

  • Physical examination by a doctor,
  • Routine blood test,
  • Breathing test,
  • Interview by doctor or nurse about medical history,
  • Questionnaire about occupational exposure.

According to India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2.7 million Indian’s have cancer and close to 1.1 million new cases are diagnosed each year.  It is unclear how many residents are diagnosed with mesothelioma.