Gujarat lung cancer cases rise 39% in 5 years, GCRI data shows
Synopsis
GCRI data reveals Gujarat's lung cancer caseload climbed 39% in five years — from 813 patients in 2021 to 1,133 in 2025. With India logging over 1.12 lakh new cases annually and tobacco driving the vast majority, the numbers signal a public health inflection point that early screening alone cannot address without serious tobacco control.
Key Takeaways
GCRI treated 4,830 lung cancer patients between 2021 and 2025 , a 39% rise over the period.
Annual cases climbed from 813 in 2021 to 1,133 in 2025 .
Men accounted for 81.4% of total cases; women for 18.6% .
India records more than 1.12 lakh new lung cancer cases and over 98,000 deaths every year, according to GLOBOCAN 2022 .
Tobacco use — bidis, cigarettes, and other products — remains the primary risk factor, alongside air pollution and asbestos exposure.
Treatment including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy is available free or subsidised under PMJAY-MA at GCRI.
The Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI) in Ahmedabad has recorded a 39% surge in lung cancer cases over five years, treating 4,830 patients between 2021 and 2025, according to data released on World Lung Cancer Day. Health authorities used the occasion to call for urgent tobacco cessation and wider early-screening uptake across the state.
Year-on-Year Case Count
GCRI figures show a consistent upward trajectory: 813 patients in 2021, rising to 865 in 2022, 933 in 2023, 1,086 in 2024, and 1,133 in 2025. Of the 4,830 total cases over the five-year period, 3,931 (81.4%) were men and 899 (18.6%) were women — a gender gap that experts attribute largely to higher tobacco use among male populations.
India and Global Burden
The institute cited the GLOBOCAN 2022 report, which estimates India records more than 1.12 lakh new lung cancer cases and over 98,000 deaths every year. Globally, lung cancer accounts for approximately 26 lakh new cases and more than 18 lakh deaths annually, making it the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. This comes amid growing concern that India's urbanisation and industrial expansion are compounding tobacco-related risks.
Key Risk Factors
Health experts identified tobacco use — including bidis, cigarettes, and other tobacco products — as the principal driver of lung cancer incidence. Additional risk factors include passive smoking, air pollution, and prolonged occupational exposure to hazardous substances such as asbestos. Doctors urged the public not to dismiss warning signs, including a persistent cough, coughing up blood, breathlessness, chest pain, voice changes, or unexplained weight loss, and to seek medical evaluation promptly.
Treatment at GCRI
Established in 1972, GCRI offers advanced lung cancer care through robotic surgery, PET-CT, 3 Tesla MRI, 128-slice CT scan, bronchoscopy, and radiation platforms including CyberKnife, TrueBeam, and TomoTherapy. Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are available free of cost or at subsidised rates under government schemes including PMJAY-MA. The Gujarat state government reiterated its commitment to ensuring access to treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer.
The Case for Early Screening
GCRI noted that lung cancer is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage because early symptoms can be mild or non-specific, reducing treatment options and survival rates. Greater public awareness, tobacco cessation, and prompt diagnosis, the institute said, can meaningfully improve outcomes. With case numbers rising each year, health authorities are calling for structured community screening programmes to catch the disease before it advances.
Point of View
Not a blip — and Gujarat's GCRI data almost certainly undercounts the true state burden, since many patients seek care at private hospitals or present too late for meaningful intervention. The gender skew (81% male) mirrors national tobacco-use patterns and points to a structural failure in tobacco control, not just a health awareness gap. India's GLOBOCAN figures — 1.12 lakh new cases, 98,000 deaths annually — underscore that lung cancer is already a mass-casualty disease in slow motion. Yet screening infrastructure remains thin and PMJAY-MA coverage, while welcome, addresses treatment rather than prevention. The harder policy question — one this data makes unavoidable — is why tobacco taxation and plain-packaging measures remain politically timid despite evidence of this scale.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many lung cancer cases did GCRI record between 2021 and 2025?
GCRI recorded 4,830 lung cancer patients over the five-year period from 2021 to 2025, with annual figures rising from 813 in 2021 to 1,133 in 2025 — a 39% increase.
What is the primary cause of lung cancer according to GCRI doctors?
Health experts at GCRI identified tobacco use — including bidis, cigarettes, and other tobacco products — as the principal risk factor. Passive smoking, air pollution, and prolonged exposure to industrial substances such as asbestos are additional contributors.
How many lung cancer cases does India record each year?
According to the GLOBOCAN 2022 report cited by GCRI, India records more than 1.12 lakh new lung cancer cases and over 98,000 deaths annually, making it one of the country's most lethal cancers.
What treatment facilities are available at GCRI for lung cancer patients?
GCRI offers robotic surgery, PET-CT, 3 Tesla MRI, 128-slice CT scan, bronchoscopy, CyberKnife, TrueBeam, and TomoTherapy. Chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are available free or at subsidised rates under the PMJAY-MA government scheme.
What symptoms should prompt someone to seek screening for lung cancer?
Doctors advise seeking immediate medical evaluation if you experience a persistent cough, coughing up blood, difficulty breathing, chest pain, voice changes, or unexplained weight loss. Early diagnosis significantly improves treatment outcomes, according to GCRI.
