SRINAGAR: Cancer is no longer a distant headline for the residents of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh. Government data submitted to Parliament paints a sobering picture: the number of new cancer cases detected each year in the two territories has been rising without interruption since at least 2021, and the trajectory shows no sign of reversing.
The data emerges from three different Questions answered by the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, in the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing session of the Rajya Sabha. All three drew on estimates compiled by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) / National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR) under the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP).
TABLE 1: Total Cancer Incidence
| Region | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 13,060 | 13,395 | 13,744 | 14,112 | 14,493 |
| Ladakh | 294 | 302 | 309 | 318 | 326 |
The Aggregate Picture
For the Jammu Kashmir Union Territory, total cancer incidence (both sexes, all sites combined) stood at 13,060 cases in 2021. By 2025, the projected figure had risen to 14,493, an increase of 1,433 cases, or roughly 11 per cent over five years. Mortality followed the same upward arc, moving from 7,211 deaths in 2021 to an estimated 8,006 in 2025, a rise of nearly 11 per cent.
Ladakh, a Union Territory with a far smaller population, recorded 294 cancer cases in 2021 and is projected to reach 326 by 2025. Its mortality numbers climbed from 166 to 185 over the same period.
TABLE 2: Total Cancer Mortality
| Region | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 7,211 | 7,396 | 7,592 | 7,796 | 8,006 |
| Ladakh | 166 | 171 | 174 | 179 | 185 |
The Women’s Cancer Burden
A separate set of questions in Parliament shone a spotlight on cancers that predominantly or exclusively affect women. The answers, again drawn from ICMR-NCRP estimates, reveal a complex picture where some cancers are growing, while others, notably cervical cancer in certain regions, are showing slight declines, likely a statistical reflection of demographic and screening dynamics.
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer remains a serious concern in both territories, though the numbers are modest compared to large states. In Jammu Kashmir, an estimated 70 cervical cancer cases were recorded in 2021, with deaths at 38. By 2025, incidence is projected to edge up marginally to 73 cases, with mortality at 39.
Ladakh recorded just 1 new cervical cancer case per year across the entire 2021-2025 period, with 1 death annually, numbers that, while tiny, still reflect the penetration of this disease into even the most remote corners of the country.
TABLE 3: Cervical Cancer: Incidence and Mortality
| Region / Measure | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| J&K (Incidence) | 70 | 71 | 72 | 72 | 73 |
| J&K (Mortality) | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 39 |
| Ladakh (Incidence) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Ladakh (Mortality) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer presents a sharply rising trend in J&K. Incidence among females was 908 in 2021 and is projected to reach 938 by 2025. More strikingly, breast cancer deaths in JK stood at 390 in 2021 and are projected to climb to 403 by 2025.
For Ladakh, breast cancer incidence was 18 cases in 2021, remaining stable at 19 in 2025. Mortality held at 8 deaths per year throughout the period.
TABLE 4: Breast Cancer (Females): Incidence and Mortality
| Region / Measure | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| J&K (Incidence) | 908 | 916 | 923 | 930 | 938 |
| J&K (Mortality) | 390 | 394 | 397 | 400 | 403 |
| Ladakh (Incidence) | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Ladakh (Mortality) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer data from the parliamentary responses reveal another area of concern. In JK, ovarian cancer incidence was recorded at 371 cases in 2021 and is projected to rise to 383 by 2025. Deaths from ovarian cancer in JK stood at 226 in 2021, projected to rise to 234 by 2025.
In Ladakh, 8 ovarian cancer cases were recorded annually throughout the period, with 5 deaths each year.
TABLE 5: Ovarian Cancer: Incidence and Mortality
| Region / Measure | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| J&K (Incidence) | 371 | 374 | 377 | 380 | 383 |
| J&K (Mortality) | 226 | 228 | 230 | 232 | 234 |
| Ladakh (Incidence) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Ladakh (Mortality) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Cervical Cancer Screenings
Among the more striking findings in the parliamentary record is the sharp surge in cervical cancer screenings in Jammu Kashmir. According to the data tabled in response to Unstarred Question No. 2017 (Annexure-III), the State/UT screened only 10,441 women in FY 2021-22. That number jumped to 9,35,006 in FY 2022-23, nearly a ninety-fold increase, before settling at 2,54,399 in FY 2023-24 and 3,88,132 in FY 2024-25.
The current financial year (FY 2025-26, data up to February 17, 2026) already shows 2,47,635 women screened in JK. Cumulatively, as of February 17, 2026, 8.73 crore women across India have been screened for cervical cancer under the National NCD Portal.
TABLE 8: Cervical Cancer Screening in J&K
| Financial Year | Women Screened (J&K) |
| FY 2021-22 | 10,441 |
| FY 2022-23 | 9,35,006 |
| FY 2023-24 | 2,54,399 |
| FY 2024-25 | 3,88,132 |
| FY 2025-26 (till Feb 17, 2026) | 2,47,635 |
Ladakh, though smaller, has also seen consistent growth in screening: from 4,708 women in FY 2021-22 to 12,899 in FY 2024-25, with the current year already recording 16,118 — the highest in any single year for the UT.
The government has launched a nationwide HPV vaccination campaign targeting girls aged 14 years, administered at government facilities including Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs (Primary Health Centres), Community Health Centres, Sub-district Hospitals, District Hospitals, and Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals. While the parliamentary answer in response to Question No 2017 did not provide state-wise HPV vaccination coverage data, the campaign’s reach into JK and Ladakh will be significant given the persistent burden of cervical cancer in these territories.
The government’s answer to Unstarred Question No. 2037 flagged an important environmental dimension. The ICMR informed Parliament that a review published in 2025 identified contamination of water sources, including by industrial waste, pesticides, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals, as a significant public health concern associated with rectal and colorectal cancers. While the answer did not isolate JK or Ladakh specifically, the region’s particular geography, with reliance on snowmelt and river water, alongside agricultural activity in the Kashmir Valley, makes this a relevant concern for public health authorities in the two territories.
What the Government Is Doing?
On the infrastructure side, the Minister’s answer outlined a broad national framework. The Ministry’s Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Facilities Scheme has approved 19 State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) across the country. For the financial year 2025-26, the Union Budget approved 297 Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs) to be set up across India to ensure decentralised, district-level cancer care.
The Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), operating under the Department of Atomic Energy, has set up six hospitals across India, in Varanasi, Visakhapatnam, New Chandigarh, Guwahati, Sangrur, and Muzaffarpur. Cancer treatment facilities have also been approved across all 22 new AIIMS. The National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar and the second campus of the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata provide advanced national-level resources.
Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), 770 District NCD Clinics, 364 District Day Care Cancer Centres, and 6,410 NCD clinics at Community Health Centres have been established nationally, with 297 more DCCCs approved for 2025-26.
Treatment under the Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme provides Rs. 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) and AMRIT Pharmacies improve access to affordable cancer medicines.
The Number In Context
For JK, the combined incidence of breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers in 2025 is projected at 938 + 73 + 383 = 1,394 cases in a single year, and that is just for three cancer types, among women. Total cancer mortality for J&K across all types and both sexes is projected at over 8,000 deaths in 2025 alone.
For Ladakh, though the absolute numbers remain small, the consistent upward trend in overall cancer incidence, from 294 cases in 2021 to a projected 326 in 2025, is concerning for a thinly populated UT where healthcare access remains a persistent challenge.
India as a whole is projected to see 15,69,793 new cancer cases in 2025, up from 14,26,447 in 2021, according to ICMR-NCRP data. JK and Ladakh collectively represent roughly 0.9 per cent of national incidence, but their health systems, infrastructure gaps, and geographic isolation make every single case a heightened challenge.
