SRINAGAR: In a rare piece of encouraging public health news, the government data tabled in Parliament shows that Jammu and Kashmir continues to record one of the lowest rates of women’s cancers in the entire country, and the numbers are holding steady.
The figures, presented in the Rajya Sabha on February 3, 2026, by the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, draw on estimates compiled by the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) under the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR).
What the Numbers Say?
For the year 2025, Jammu Kashmir is estimated to record 938 new breast cancer cases, 73 cervical cancer cases, and 383 ovarian cancer cases among women. By contrast, large states like Uttar Pradesh are projected to see over 44,800 breast cancer cases and more than 11,500 cervical cancer cases in the same year.
While Jammu and Kashmir’s smaller population is a factor, the per-capita picture still paints a relatively favourable story. Cervical cancer, often linked to lack of screening and awareness, remains especially low, with just 70–73 estimated new cases annually between 2021 and 2025, a figure that has barely moved over five years.
On the mortality side, the data show an estimated 403 breast cancer deaths, 39 cervical cancer deaths, and 234 ovarian cancer deaths projected for JK in 2025, figures that, while sobering, are markedly lower than those of comparable union territories and many smaller states.
A Stable Trend
One of the most notable features of Jammu and Kashmir’s cancer data is its relative stability. Between 2021 and 2025, breast cancer incidence in the UT has risen modestly from 908 to 938, a slow, gradual increase that stands in sharp contrast to states like Kerala, where projected cases have jumped from 12,513 to 15,247 over the same period, or Rajasthan, where figures have leapt from 13,233 to 15,702.
Health experts note that this relative stability could reflect several factors unique to the region, including dietary patterns, lifestyle factors, and the younger age profile of JK’s population, but also point out that it underlines the importance of sustained vigilance and expanded screening before trends worsen.
Cancer Care Infrastructure
The Parliamentary reply also details significant steps the central government has taken to strengthen cancer detection and treatment infrastructure nationwide, steps that directly benefit residents of JK.
Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), 770 District NCD Clinics, 364 District Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs), and 6,410 NCD clinics at Community Health Centres have been established across India. In the current financial year (2025–26), a further 297 DCCCs have been approved to push cancer care closer to district-level hospitals.
A nationwide population-based screening initiative targets all persons above 30 years of age for cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other non-communicable diseases. For women specifically, this means greater access to oral, cervical and breast cancer screening at primary health centres, without the need to travel to distant hospitals.
At the apex of the care pyramid, 19 State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and 20 Tertiary Cancer Care Centres (TCCCs) have been established across the country, alongside cancer treatment facilities in all 22 new AIIMS — equipped with diagnostic, medical and surgical capabilities.
The Road Ahead
While Jammu and Kashmir’s relatively low cancer burden is heartening, public health advocates stress that the battle is far from over. Cervical cancer, for instance, is almost entirely preventable through HPV vaccination and regular Pap smear screening — tools that remain underutilised in many parts of the UT, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Breast cancer, meanwhile, continues to be diagnosed at late stages in many parts of India due to social stigma and lack of awareness, making the Centre’s push for community-level screening all the more critical.
For Jammu Kashmir, the data offers both reassurance and a call to action: the numbers are among India’s best, but sustaining that advantage will require continued investment in screening, awareness campaigns, and timely treatment, especially as the UT’s population grows and lifestyle patterns evolve.
