While most Indian cities show higher cancer rates among men, Hyderabad has the opposite pattern, with women experiencing significantly higher rates. The city records the highest breast cancer age-adjusted incidence rate in the country at 54.0 per 100,000 women.
Published Sep 11, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 11, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Breast cancer. (iStock)
Synopsis: Hyderabad has the second-highest female cancer incidence among major Indian metros, with nearly one in 807 women expected to be diagnosed with the disease, according to a new large-scale study. Breast cancer leads the statistics, with the city recording the highest age-adjusted rate in the country at 54 per 100,000 women, alongside notable rates of cervical, lung, and oral cancers.
Nearly one in 807 women in Hyderabad will be diagnosed with cancer each year, reflecting the city’s age-adjusted incidence rate of 123.8 per 100,000 population – the second-highest among major Indian cities, according to a study by the National Cancer Registry Programme published in JAMA Open Network.
This makes Hyderabad a critical cancer hotspot requiring urgent public health attention and places its women among the most cancer-vulnerable populations in urban India.
The study analysed data from 2015 to 2019 across 43 population-based cancer registries nationwide. It shows that Hyderabad’s female cancer burden is well above the national average and higher than most other metropolitan cities.
With a lifetime cancer risk of 16.7 percent for women, about one in six Hyderabad women will develop cancer before the age of 75, marking one of the most concerning urban cancer trends in India.
“The significant regional disparities in cancer incidence across India and the increasing cancer burden underscore the urgent need to strengthen the ongoing efforts for cancer prevention and control measures,” the study states, citing Hyderabad’s statistics as an example of this public health challenge.
Hyderabad stands out in India for its unusual gender distribution of cancer. While most Indian cities show higher cancer rates among men, Hyderabad has the opposite pattern, with women experiencing significantly higher rates.
Female cancer rates in Hyderabad, at 123.8 per 100,000, are well above male rates of 92.7 per 100,000 – a 33 percent gender gap.
This female-predominant pattern places Hyderabad in a unique category among Indian metros. The lifetime risk comparison highlights this gap: while women face a 16.7 percent lifetime risk, men have a 12.8 percent risk.
This 3.9 percentage point difference is one of the largest gender gaps in the study, suggesting factors affecting Hyderabad women specifically.
The pattern contrasts sharply with traditional Indian cancer trends, where male-dominated tobacco use and occupational exposures usually lead to higher male cancer rates. The reversal indicates evolving urban health challenges that particularly affect women.
Central to Hyderabad’s elevated female cancer rates is its status as India’s breast cancer capital. The city records the highest breast cancer age-adjusted incidence rate in the country at 54.0 per 100,000 women, a major contributor to its overall female cancer burden.
This rate means breast cancer alone affects around 1 in 1,850 women annually in Hyderabad, posing a significant public health challenge.
With breast cancer projected to affect 2,38,085 women nationally in 2024, Hyderabad’s disproportionate contribution is evident. The city’s rate is 16 percent higher than Bangalore’s 46.7 per 100,000, 19 percent higher than Chennai’s 45.4 per 100,000, and represents the peak incidence across all regions studied.
The concentration of breast cancer in Hyderabad points to urban-specific risk factors, including delayed childbearing, shorter breastfeeding duration, lifestyle changes linked to urbanisation, and potentially environmental exposures unique to the city. These, combined with improved diagnosis and healthcare-seeking behaviour, contribute to Hyderabad’s breast cancer epidemic.
Beyond breast cancer, Hyderabad shows a substantial burden across several other cancer types.
Cervical cancer, India’s second most common female cancer, affects Hyderabad women at 12.1 per 100,000, placing the city at a moderate level nationally. While lower than northeastern hotspots such as Aizawl (27.01 per 100,000), it still represents a significant health burden given Hyderabad’s large population.
Lung cancer occurs at 6.8 per 100,000 among women, reflecting moderate exposure compared with northeastern states but highlighting concerns around air quality and possible tobacco use. Although lower than hotspots like Aizawl (33.7 per 100,000), it contributes meaningfully to the overall female cancer burden.
Oral cancer affects women at 7.9 per 100,000, placing Hyderabad among regions with notable oral cancer risk. This reflects continued exposure to tobacco products and possibly betel quid use, which remain prevalent in urban Telangana despite modernisation.
Hyderabad’s multi-cancer profile shows that its female cancer crisis extends beyond any single type, pointing to a broad urban health challenge that requires multifaceted interventions.
While Hyderabad women face exceptionally high cancer risks, the city’s male population shows more moderate patterns, offering context for the overall cancer environment.
Men in Hyderabad have an age-adjusted incidence rate of 92.7 per 100,000, substantial but moderate compared with other Indian regions.
Male oral cancer occurs at 21.2 per 100,000, among the higher-burden areas nationally and on par with Kerala’s Kasargod district. This reflects significant tobacco and alcohol use among men, contributing to the city’s overall male cancer burden.
Lung cancer affects men at 12.9 per 100,000, a moderate rate indicating environmental and lifestyle exposures, while prostate cancer occurs at 7.8 per 100,000, at the lower end for major Indian cities.
The male cancer profile, while concerning, shows that Hyderabad’s exceptional female rates are not due to uniquely carcinogenic environments affecting everyone, but rather to specific factors disproportionately impacting women.
Health Minister Rajanarasimha said Telangana has taken another significant step in healthcare by planning to establish cancer day care centers in every district, along with 34 mobile screening vehicles for rural outreach.
Medical experts warn that cancer is one of the most dangerous non-communicable diseases, and delayed diagnosis often proves fatal. Officials noted that lack of awareness and late detection have been major challenges in Telangana so far.
To address this, mobile screening units will provide diagnostic services at the village level, ensuring early detection for every family.
Currently, specialized cancer wards with 80 beds operate at leading hospitals like NIMS and MGM. In the coming months, advanced day care centers equipped with radiation bunkers will be set up in Warangal, Sangareddy, Khammam, and Mahbubnagar. These facilities will allow patients to receive treatment during the day and return home the same evening, reducing both medical and financial burdens.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is personally monitoring the initiative. Renowned oncologist Dr. Noori Dattatrey has been appointed as Advisor – Cancer Elimination to guide the program with his expertise.
At the same time, the government is creating new opportunities in the nursing sector to support these initiatives.
The study’s findings highlight the urgent need for Hyderabad-specific cancer control measures, particularly focusing on women’s health.
The city’s healthcare infrastructure must scale up quickly to tackle the breast cancer epidemic, including enhanced screening, early detection, and expanded treatment capacity.
“Investing in prevention strategies that address key cancer risk factors, including smoking, overweight and obesity, and infections, could prevent millions of cancer cases globally,” the study recommends, with direct relevance to Hyderabad.
Comprehensive women’s health programs are required, covering reproductive health counseling, lifestyle support, and environmental health improvements.
The government’s plan to establish “200 district day care cancer centers by 2025 to 2026 to improve access to treatment” should prioritize Hyderabad and other high-burden urban areas. Given the city’s female cancer burden, these centers should include specialized women’s cancer care.
The study notes that “the significant variation in area-wise cancer incidence rates and cancer types in India highlights the need for tailored strategies to enhance cancer prevention and control efforts.” Hyderabad’s female-predominant cancer pattern exemplifies the need for city-specific approaches rather than generic national strategies.
As India projects 1,562,099 new cancer cases nationally in 2024, cities like Hyderabad with high female cancer rates require urgent, sustained, and targeted interventions to prevent what appears to be an escalating urban women’s health crisis – one that could serve as a warning for other rapidly developing Indian metropolitan areas.
