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India accounted for nearly 69 percent of newly diagnosed childhood cancer cases recorded across the eight South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries in 2022, according to a new population-based study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia.
The study analysed childhood cancer incidence and mortality in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka using data from the 2022 GLOBOCAN database.
Researchers estimated that 37,716 children were newly diagnosed with cancer across the SAARC region in 2022. India accounted for 25,939 cases, or 68.8% of the regional total, followed by Pakistan with 7,841 cases, representing 20.8%.
Researchers cautioned that India’s large share cannot be explained by its population alone. Significant differences in age-specific cancer incidence and mortality across the region point to disparities in healthcare capacity, early diagnosis and access to appropriate treatment.
An estimated 17,698 children died from cancer across the eight SAARC countries in 2022, highlighting the continuing burden of childhood cancer in the region.
Leukemia was the most common childhood cancer across all eight SAARC countries, accounting for roughly 35% to 50% of cases. Tumours of the central nervous system were the second most common, making up around 12% of cases.
The pattern broadly mirrors global data from the World Health Organization.
Childhood cancers differ significantly from cancers in adults. They are generally not caused by lifestyle choices or lack of awareness, nor can most of them be prevented through routine screening. Early medical assessment when unusual symptoms appear is therefore crucial.
One of the study’s key findings was the wide variation in the mortality-to-incidence ratio across SAARC countries.
Sri Lanka recorded the lowest ratio at 0.30, while Afghanistan had the highest at 0.57, indicating major differences in survival outcomes.
Researchers said the disparity reflects gaps in healthcare infrastructure, cancer diagnosis and access to specialised treatment. Tumours affecting the central nervous system were particularly associated with high mortality.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 80% of children with cancer in high-income countries can be cured, while the survival rate in low- and middle-income countries remains below 30%. Delayed diagnosis, inadequate treatment, financial hardship, treatment abandonment and complications contribute to the higher mortality in poorer settings.
Researchers have urged India and other South Asian countries to strengthen cancer surveillance and establish reliable, country-specific cancer registries. They also called for better access to specialised care at the community level.
Greater cross-border cooperation, standardised treatment protocols and improved management of childhood cancers such as leukemia could help narrow the survival gap across the region.
Childhood cancer is often curable when detected early and treated appropriately. The WHO aims to raise the global childhood cancer survival rate to at least 60% by 2030.
For South Asia, the challenge is to ensure that a child’s chance of survival is not determined by where they were born or whether their family can afford treatment, but by access to timely, quality cancer care.