Srinagar, July 31: The Union Territory of Ladakh has witnessed a sharp increase in cancer cases over the past five years, with the number of diagnosed patients rising from 50 in 2021-22 to 214 in 2025-26, as per data of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Official data tabled recently in Parliament by the Health Ministry revealed a sharp and consistent rise in cancer cases in the Union Territory of Ladakh over the past five years.
The number of diagnosed cases increased from 50 in 2021-22 to 87 in 2022-23, before nearly doubling to 173 in 2023-24. The upward trend continued with 208 cases reported in 2024-25, reaching 214 cases in 2025-26, indicating a significant increase in the cancer burden in the mountainous region.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), stomach, lung and oesophageal cancers are the most commonly diagnosed cancers among men in Ladakh. Among women, breast, stomach and oesophageal cancers are the leading types of cancer reported in the region.
The union health ministry has said that while lifestyle, dietary, environmental and occupational factors can influence cancer risk, there is no conclusive scientific evidence directly linking Ladakh’s high-altitude or cold climatic conditions to the rise in cancer cases. The government, however, acknowledged that research in this area is continuing.
The Ministry also said that cancer screening services are being provided in Ladakh under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD).
“Screening for oral, breast and cervical cancers is available through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and other public health facilities to promote early detection and timely treatment.”
To strengthen cancer care in the region, the government said diagnostic and treatment services are being expanded through district hospitals and referral health institutions.
It added that public awareness campaigns, community-based screening and capacity building of healthcare workers are also being undertaken to improve early diagnosis and cancer management.
Health experts believe that the rising numbers may also reflect better diagnosis, increased screening and improved reporting, in addition to changing lifestyles and other risk factors.
They have stressed the need for sustained awareness campaigns, regular screening of high-risk populations and timely referral to specialised treatment centres.
Local health experts in Kargil said cancer and cancer-related deaths in Ladakh are alarmingly on the rise because the majority of the risk factors are prevalent in this region.
Due to lack of hospital-based cancer registry or any other previous cancer-related study, no data of magnitude of this dreaded disease was available before recent studies.
The experts said it is disheartening to see people die of cancers as young as 30 years, in Ladakh as lack of awareness among the people about the disease is a cause of concern.
