Background:
Cancer has emerged as an important public health problem in India also as a result of control of infectious diseases and resultant increase in life expectancy during second half of last century. Tobacco use is a measure contributor to the cancer burden which is preventable. It accounts for around 24 to 64% of cancers in males and 7 to 42% in females. Therefore, the objective of present study was to assess the burden of tobacco related cancers (TRCs) for India and its states for 2015-2025.

Methods:
National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) of ICMR is the only source of reliable data on cancer in India. The cancer incidence rates generated by population based cancer registries under NCRP and population of India and states projected by Registrar General of India formed the sources of data. Best possible assessment of incidence rates for states using limited data available was worked out. The linear regression method was used to assess trend and project the rates for the study period 2015-2025.

Results:
Overall burden of TRCs in India was estimated to be 366 thousand in 2015 and it was projected to increase to 508 thousand by 2025, an increase of more than 38.9%. Major portion of this burden was due to tobacco use in men (three fourth) and in rural males (one half). Detailed analysis indicated regional diversity in the burden of different types of TRCs.

Conclusions:
In view of increasing burden of TRCs, there is urgent need to initiate focused tobacco prevention measures to combat the same.