Risk Factors of Cancer in India: An Analysis of Lifestyle Patterns

One of the main causes of mortality and morbidity as well as a major global health issue in the modern era is cancer. Cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease as the second biggest cause of death globally, despite significant breakthroughs in science and medicine. About 1 in 6 deaths is due to cancer worldwide. Cancer is caused by the tendencies and the triggers. Tendencies refer to internal, hereditary, or genetic factors, while the triggers can arise from the environment, one’s lifestyle, or from some virus. Research reveals that in India, 60–70 per cent of cancer cases is lifestyle-oriented. After making an analytical and descriptive analysis of the secondary sources of data, this paper seeks to analyse the role of lifestyle patterns in the causation of cancer in India. The findings so analysed indicate that of all cancer-related deaths, 25–30 percent are due to tobacco, 30–35 percent are linked to diet, 15-20 percent to infections, and the remaining percentage is due to other factors. Every year, around 1 million new instances of cancer are diagnosed in India. Although some authors suggest that the risk factors for cancer in India are nearly identical to those in other parts of the world, the distinct socioeconomic patterns and bio-cultural elements demand investigating alternative causation paths. Unhealthy lifestyles contribute significantly to illness and mortality. Increased public knowledge of the linkages between lifestyle and cancer is critical because it can help people comprehend the health repercussions of their activities and motivate them to make necessary lifestyle changes.