• Cancer is a major public health concern in India, but cancer registries cover less than 10% of the population.

• A study explored cancer notification laws in India's 28 states to understand reporting differences and recommend improvements.

• Only 12 states responded to the Right to Information requests, with four having laws mandating cancer notification.

• Inconsistencies were found in patient identity protection and privacy requirements, inclusion of death certificate-only cases, and penalties for non-compliance.

• Various problems such as differing time limits for reporting cases and different enforcement orders were found, which highlight the need for standardized cancer reporting laws.

• The study underscores the importance of consistent, exclusive, and standardized cancer notification laws across Indian states.

Click here to read more.