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Rising Tobacco-Related Cancers in Vidarbha: Trends and Causes
- thenewsdirt
- Jun 3
- 5 min read
Tobacco use has long been a part of daily life in Vidarbha. Over the past decade, this habit has driven a significant increase in tobacco-related cancers, particularly in cities like Nagpur and districts like Wardha.
This article examines the prevalence of these cancers, their trends from 2015 to 2025, and the factors contributing to high tobacco consumption in the region, drawing on data and insights specific to Vidarbha.
Prevalence of Tobacco-Related Cancers in Vidarbha
Tobacco-related cancers, including those affecting the lip, tongue, mouth, oropharynx, hypopharynx, oesophagus, larynx, lung, and urinary bladder, represent a major health burden in Vidarbha.
A study published in the Vidarbha Journal of Internal Medicine covering 2017 to 2020 provides detailed insights into the scale of this issue. Over this period, 19,291 cancer cases were registered in the region, with 11,868 classified as malignant.
Among these, males accounted for 6,042 cases, or 50.91%, while females accounted for 5,823 cases, or 49.07%. Oral cancer emerged as the most common tobacco-related cancer, making up 51.92% of male cancer cases, equivalent to 3,144 cases, and 14.97% of female cancer cases, totalling 875 cases.
Other tobacco-related cancers also contribute significantly to the region’s cancer burden. For males, lung cancer accounted for 5.41% of cases, or 328 cases, followed by oesophageal cancer at 4.73%, or 287 cases, and laryngeal cancer at 3.08%, or 187 cases.
For females, oesophageal cancer was more prevalent, constituting 4.32% of cases, or 253 cases, while lung cancer made up 2.87%, or 168 cases. These figures highlight the dominance of oral cancer, particularly among men, but also underscore the broader impact of tobacco on various cancer types in Vidarbha.
Data from the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) for 2012 to 2016 offers further clarity on cancer incidence in specific parts of Vidarbha, focusing on Nagpur and Wardha.
In Nagpur, the age-adjusted incidence rate (AAR) for tobacco-related cancers among males was 41.5 per 100,000, with a cumulative risk of 1 in 21 for developing such cancers by age 74.
These cancers accounted for 46.2% of all male cancer cases in the city. For females in Nagpur, the AAR was 15.8 per 100,000, with a cumulative risk of 1 in 55, and tobacco-related cancers comprised 17.3% of all female cancer cases. In Wardha district, the AAR for males was 27.0 per 100,000, with a cumulative risk of 1 in 31, and tobacco-related cancers made up 42.4% of all male cancer cases.
For females in Wardha, the AAR was 12.7 per 100,000, with a cumulative risk of 1 in 65, and these cancers accounted for 18.6% of all female cancer cases. These statistics reveal a consistently high burden of tobacco-related cancers across Vidarbha, with males facing a greater risk than females.
The trend of tobacco-related cancers in Vidarbha over the past decade points to a steady increase.
Although comprehensive data for the entire 2015 to 2025 period is limited, available evidence from earlier years and projections for the near future provide a clear picture.
The NCRP Annual Report for 2020, cited in the Vidarbha Journal of Internal Medicine, documented significant annual increases in specific cancers in Nagpur from 2005 to 2016.
Mouth cancer saw a 9.4% annual increase among males and a 6.5% increase among females, while tongue cancer rose by 6% annually for both genders during this period.
More recent NCRP data from 2012 to 2016 confirm these trends, noting statistically significant increases in the AAR for tongue and mouth cancers among males and lung cancer among females in Nagpur.
However, cancers of the hypopharynx and larynx among males showed a decline over the same period. Nationally, the NCRP’s 2023 report projects a 27.7% increase in all cancer cases from 2015 to 2025, with tobacco-related cancers like lung and mouth cancers expected to rise substantially.
By 2025, lung cancer cases are estimated to reach 81,219 for males and 30,109 for females, while mouth cancer cases are projected to reach 64,519 for males.
Although these figures are national, Vidarbha’s high tobacco consumption suggests that the region is likely experiencing a similar or even more pronounced increase in these cancers.
The Vidarbha Journal of Internal Medicine further supports this, stating that the overall cancer burden in Vidarbha, including tobacco-related cancers, is increasing steadily year by year.
The journal projects a 12.5% rise in the cancer burden by 2025 compared to earlier data. This upward trajectory reflects the persistent challenge of tobacco use in the region and its direct link to rising cancer rates.
Causes of High Tobacco Consumption in Vidarbha
The high prevalence of tobacco-related cancers in Vidarbha is closely tied to widespread tobacco consumption, driven by a combination of social, cultural, and biological factors. Smokeless tobacco products, particularly Kharra, a local tobacco mix, dominate the region’s tobacco use.
The World Health Organisation reports that 267 million adults in India, or 29% of the adult population, use tobacco, with smokeless forms like khaini, gutkha, betel quid with tobacco, and zarda being the most common.
In Vidarbha, Kharra is especially popular, earning Nagpur the nickname “Kharra Capital.”
Several factors contribute to this high consumption. Tobacco products are widely available and affordable, making it difficult for users to quit.
Dr Suyog Jaiswal from AIIMS Nagpur has highlighted easy availability as a key barrier to cessation. Cultural acceptance further entrenches tobacco use, with Kharra being a socially accepted part of daily life in Vidarbha. Media portrayals of tobacco, particularly in films, add to its appeal, especially among younger people. Dr Sreelakshmi V from AIIMS notes that prolonged tobacco use leads to neurochemical changes in the brain, rendering it a disorder rather than a mere habit, which complicates efforts to stop.
Additionally, over 20% of the population in India, including Vidarbha, exhibits moderate to high tobacco dependence, reinforcing the cycle of consumption.
The following table outlines the prevalence of tobacco-related cancers in Nagpur and Wardha from 2012 to 2016, as reported by the NCRP.
The table below details the causes of high tobacco consumption in Vidarbha.
The growing burden of tobacco-related cancers in Vidarbha casts a long shadow over the region’s public health landscape.
As the data reveals, the interplay of cultural norms, easy access to tobacco, and its addictive properties continues to drive this health crisis.
The stories of those affected, from urban centres like Nagpur to rural districts like Wardha, highlight a pressing need to confront this issue head-on, with a focus on understanding its deep-rooted causes and far-reaching consequences.
References
National Cancer Registry Programme. (2021). Report on sites of cancer associated with tobacco use based on data of National Cancer Registry Programme, India (2012–2016). National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research. https://ncdirindia.org/All_Reports/TRC_Report/resources/TRC_eBook.pdf
Sathish, T., & Kannan, S. (2023). Cancer incidence estimates for 2022 & projection for 2025: Result from National Cancer Registry Programme, India. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 157(5). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10231735/
Times News Network. (2020, May 31). Tobacco addiction one of biggest public health threats in Covid times. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/tobacco-addiction-one-of-biggest-public-health-threats-in-covid-times/articleshow/76114541.cms
Vidarbha Journal of Internal Medicine. (2024). Epidemiology of cancers in Vidarbha over 4-year period: Tobacco-related cancer and control. Vidarbha Journal of Internal Medicine. https://vjim.org/epidemiology-of-cancers-in-vidarbha-over-4-year-period-tobacco-related-cancer-and-control/
World Health Organization. (2022). Tobacco use in India. WHO India. https://www.who.int/india/health-topics/tobacco
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