Cervical Cancer Cases Drop at Bengaluru's Kidwai Memorial Institute

By: WE Staff | Monday, 19 January 2026

• Data available from Kidwai Memorial Institute indicates reduction in cases of cervical cancer
• The proportion of cervical cancer cases out of total cases in females reduced from 19.3% in 2021 to 16.2% in 2025

The data from the KMIO hospital-based cancer registry shows a decrease in the incidence rate of cervical cancer. Dr. Naveen T, Director, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO) says that the incidence rate of cervical cancer among all female cancers has dropped from 19.3 percent in 2021 to 16.2 percent in 2025.

According to the cancer registry, the number of cervical cancer cases among all female cancer cases was reported at 1076 (14.6 percent) out of 7023 cases in 2024 and 929 (16.2 percent) out of 5742 cases in 2025.

Dr. Naveen estimates that there are still women being treated for cervical cancer diagnosed in 2025, but the long-term trend of cervical cancer incidence continues to decline, supporting the results of government-supported women's health initiatives that positively influence women's health.

Through these programs women are being educated, they are receiving adequate maternal and child health care, they are receiving contraceptive supplies to prevent unwanted pregnancies, they are being empowered to be financially independent and therefore lowering their overall risk of acquiring HPV by marrying later and/or delaying their first pregnancy.

However, oncologists observed that less than 2 percent of women currently undergo regular cervical cancer screenings, underlining the need for further advancements in this area.

According to Dr. Shruthi Shivdas, a consultant in gynaec oncology at Cytecare Hospitals, although the age-standardized incidence rates and mortality rates for cervical cancer have reduced over time, the absolute numbers of new cases and deaths are steadily rising.

This is because of the increase in population size and the increase in survival years in people due to improvements in healthcare services.

Screening numbers have shown improvements; however, it is still pending when it comes to reducing the numbers of new incidence due to population size increase due to better reporting from cancer registries.

In India, the diagnosis of cervical cancer happens at a relatively late stage in comparison to other countries around the world and is mainly attributed to a lack of awareness.

According to Dr. Abhilasha Narayan, a consultant in Gynaec Oncology at HCG Cancer Hospital, the maximum prevalence of cervical cancer has been observed in women between the ages of 50 and 59 years due to late diagnosis. Around 60-70 percent of cervical cancer cases in India is usually diagnosed late and results in poor outcomes.

Cervical cancer and its pre-cancer stages usually have no striking symptoms when they are in their early stage, and early detection by screening is extremely important.

The medical oncologists said they usually receive 2 to 5 cervical cancer cases a month, most in the advanced stages of the disease. However, general screenings provided in the facilities also help to detect the pre-cancer condition and at least one or two pre-cancerous conditions may be identified within three to six months among women coming for regular check-ups.