New York: An eminent New York-based oncologist has welcomed the recent recommendation by a parliamentary committee that cancer should be declared a notifiable disease across India, saying it marks a turning-point in the fight against cancer.
Last month, a parliamentary committee recommended that cancer should be declared a notifiable disease across all states and Union Territories.
Headed by Narain Dass Gupta, the Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha, in its 163rd report, said reliable data is vital for assessing public health issues, particularly cancer, where comprehensive information is essential to track trends, design policies and plan infrastructure.
“The recent recommendation by the Rajya Sabha committee is both timely and essential. It marks a turning-point in India’s fight against cancer,” Dr Dattatreyudu Nori said.
“As an Indian-American cancer doctor, I firmly believe this step will catalyse stronger surveillance, targeted prevention, fairer resource distribution, and ultimately – better outcomes for millions,” he said.
Padma Shri awardee Nori has held various academic, clinical, research, and administrative positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre and as Professor and Director of the Cancer Centre at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell University.
Currently, he is an advisor to the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for cancer care services.
He said that mandating the reporting of cancer cases would dramatically enhance the quality and authenticity of incidence data, a foundational step for informed policy.
“This step has already been taken by several state governments in India, but a national step has been anticipated by many,” he said.
Nori added that in India, the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP), managed by ICMR-NCDIR, currently covers just 16-18 per cent of the population. Without legal backing, data collection remains fragmented and opaque, he said.
“Only through a notifiable disease framework – legally obligating hospitals and practitioners to report cancer – can we hope to build a truly comprehensive national database,” he said.
He further said that enhanced surveillance yields immediate dividends and robust, realtime epidemiological data enable precise identification of high-incidence regions, detection of changes in demographic patterns (such as the concerning rise of oral cancer among those under 40), and the ability to link emerging trends to risk-factor exposures.
“These insights empower policymakers to deploy targeted prevention strategies – tobacco control, HPV vaccination, anti-pollution measures, and regionally tailored screening programmes – with real confidence,” he said.
To an argument that cancer, unlike tuberculosis or cholera, is non-communicable, and thus not typically “notifiable”, Nori said that objection, however, is semantic and outdated.
“A nuanced solution is to recognise cancer as a ‘documentable disease’, ensuring mandatory reporting without conflating it with infectious disease norms. Beyond statistics, cancer notification saves lives. Studies show that early detection and access to timely treatment markedly improve survival and reduce costs,” he said.
He underlined that the policy must be deployed with care and integrity and data collection must safeguard privacy, guard against stigma, and respect patient dignity.
“Declaring cancer notifiable is not bureaucratic overreach – but a commitment to confronting a rising public-health crisis with transparency, accountability, and hope,” he said. PTI
