India has made steady progress in improving breast cancer survival, but the country continues to lag behind wealthier nations, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) first-ever country-level estimates of breast cancer survival. The findings highlight the urgent need for earlier detection and better access to timely treatment.
Published in Nature Medicine, the WHO study estimates that 65.7% of Indian women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2017 and 2021 survived for at least five years after diagnosis. While this marks significant progress, it remains well below the global median survival rate of 77.8%. Survival rates are considerably higher in high-income countries at 87.3%, while the WHO Region of the Americas reports 88.5% and the European Region 84%.
The report provides the first five-year breast cancer survival estimates for all 194 WHO member states, creating a global benchmark to monitor progress under the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative. The initiative aims to reduce premature breast cancer deaths by 2.5% annually and save 2.5 million lives by 2040.
India has shown consistent improvement over the past few decades. A 2024 National Cancer Registry Programme study found that the country’s five-year survival rate increased from 31-54% among women diagnosed in the 1990s to 66.4% for those diagnosed during 2012–2015. However, researchers noted that further gains will depend on detecting cancers earlier and ensuring wider access to high-quality cancer care.
Commenting on the findings, Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said India’s survival rate reflects challenges across the entire cancer care pathway rather than treatment alone. He noted that initiatives such as community-based screening programmes and Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY have contributed to better outcomes, but many women are still diagnosed at advanced stages because of limited awareness, social stigma, financial constraints and delays in diagnosis. He added that unequal access to pathology, imaging, radiotherapy, systemic therapies and follow-up services particularly in rural areas continues to impact survival, making early detection, prompt diagnosis and equitable treatment access critical for improving outcomes.
