PM-JAY’s Impact on Cancer Treatment

• 08 Feb 2025

Source: IE 

Why in News? 

A study published in The Lancet highlights a substantial decrease in delays for initiating cancer treatment across India, with a notable 90% improvement among beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). 

What are the Key Findings of the Study on Cancer? 

• Improved Timely Initiation of Treatment: 36% overall improvement in timely cancer treatment, with a 90% rise among AB PM-JAY beneficiaries post-2018. 
  • Treatment delays reduced significantly, especially for reproductive, genitourinary, breast, and blood cancers. 
• Demographic Insights: Younger patients (<30 years: 77%) and those with higher education (70.2%) had better access to timely treatment. 
  • Insurance coverage (69%) improved accessibility, while higher-income groups faced fewer delays. 
• Challenges: 
  • Delayed Diagnosis and Treatment: Study revealed that treatment delays, especially in radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery, reduce survival rates.  
  • Limited Healthcare Infrastructure: India has only 779 radiotherapy machines, far below the WHO-recommended 1,350–5,000.Shortage of oncologists and diagnostic centers. 
  • High Financial Burden: High out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses persist as AB-PMJAY excludes diagnostics and follow-ups. Public health spending below 2% of GDP worsens affordability. 

Cancer 

• About: Cancer refers to a group of diseases characterised by the uncontrolled proliferation and spread of abnormal cells in the body, which can infiltrate and harm healthy tissues and organs. 
• State of Cancer Burden in India: The cancer cases in the country are projected to increase from 14.6 lakh in 2022 to 15.7 lakh in 2025, as per the Indian Council of Medical Research. 
  • Breast cancer was the most prevalent, representing 13.6% of all cases and over 26% among women.   
  • Globally, in 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths.

Click Here to Read: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)   

Q1. ‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched by the Government of India pertains to (2016)   

(a) Immunization of children and pregnant women    
(b) Construction of smart cities across the country    
(c) India’s own search for the Earth-like planets in outer space    
(d) New Educational Policy    

Ans: (a) 

Q. With reference to the treatment of cancerous tumours, a tool called cyberknife has been making the news. In this context, which one of the following statements is not correct? (2010)

(a) It is a robotic image guided system   

(b) It delivers an extremely precise dose of radiation   

(c) It has the capability of achieving sub-millimetre accuracy   

(d) It can map the spread of tumour in the body   

Ans: (d) 

Q. ‘RNA interference (RNAi)’ technology has gained popularity in the last few years. Why? (2019)

1. It is used in developing gene-silencing therapies.   
2. It can be used in developing therapies for the treatment of cancer.   
3. It can be used to develop hormone replacement therapies.   
4. It can be used to produce crop plants that are resistant to viral pathogens.   

Select the correct answer using the code given below.   

(a) 1, 2 and 4   

(b) 2 and 3   

(c) 1 and 3   

(d) 1 and 4 only   

Ans: (a)