Trends in colorectal cancer incidence in India.

e16084 Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for 10% of global cancer deaths yearly. It is postulated that the incidence rates are rising in developing countries like India. We present a comprehensive overview of colorectal cancer incidence in India from various regions from 2004 to 2014. Methods: We obtained data on CRC incidence from the Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) of the National Cancer Registry Program. We calculated age-standardized incidence rates (to WHO World Standard Population 2000) for five-year age groups for period of diagnosis (2004-05, 2006-08, 2009-11, and 2012-14). Results: From 2004 to 2014, CRC incidence rates in India increased by 20%. During 2004-2005, the incidence rate of CRC was 5.8 per 100,000 persons. It increased to 6.9 during 2012-2014. Conclusions: CRC rates are rising in India. Even though the absolute rates are low in the Indian population, the rising rates pose a problem in rising cancer morbidity in India. The rising rates can be attributed to changing lifestyles that include consumption of calorie-rich and low fibre diet, excessive use of red meat and processed foods, and physical inactivity. There is a need for cost-effective strategies to enable early diagnosis for colorectal cancer in India. Affordable and equitable treatment will help increase the 5-year survival rates of colorectal cancers. [Table: see text]