Female-Specific Cancers—India in the Global Context: An Evaluation Using GLOBOCAN 2022 Estimates

Background: As one of the most populous countries in the world, India plays a significant role in contributing to the global burden of female-specific cancers. This paper aims to provide a clearer understanding of this burden by comparing the situation in India with that of other countries and regions. Such an understanding will help policymakers assess the adequacy of cancer control measures in India. Methods: The age-standardized incidence rates (ASIR) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) of all cancers among women, as well as the rates of six female-specific cancers, i.e., of the breast, cervix uteri, ovary, corpus uteri, vagina, and vulva, were obtained from the Global Cancer Observatory for the year 2022. The estimates for India were compared with those of countries such as the United States of America (USA), Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), South Africa, El Salvador, and China. Results: Among the selected countries, India exhibited the lowest incidence and mortality rates for all-cause cancer among women, with rates of 100.83 and 62.61 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. It also reported the lowest incidence of breast cancer (26.6 per 100,000 person-years) and corpus uteri cancer (2.46 per 100,000 person-years) among the selected countries. However, the ASIR and ASMR of cervical cancer were the second highest in India (17.71 and 11.15 per 100,000 person-years) after South Africa (33.18 and 19.03 per 100,000 person-years). The incidence rates in India are below the global median for all cancers (157.66), breast cancer (46.21), and corpus uteri cancer (7.03), but they are above the global median for cervix uteri cancer (14.10). A similar trend was observed concerning cancer-related mortality rates among Indian women. Nearly 54% of cancer incidence and 50% of cancer mortality among women in India are attributed to these six female-specific cancers. Conclusions: Although India contributes significantly to the global burden of female-specific cancers, the ASIR and ASMR for these cancers are lower than those in many other countries. It is essential to study how sociodemographic transitions influence the patterns of female-specific cancers in high-, low-, and middle-income countries to inform the implementation of effective cancer control strategies by health systems in countries like India.