Sri Lanka records nearly 100 new cancer cases and around 40 cancer-related deaths every day, according to the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).
Community Medicine Specialist Dr. Hasarali Fernando shared these figures at a media briefing held on February 4 to mark World Cancer Day, citing data from the National Cancer Registry 2022.
She noted that 35,855 new cancer cases were reported in 2022, while 14,986 cancer-related deaths were recorded in 2021. Of the new cases, approximately 19,500 were women and 16,400 were men.
The data also shows that the most common cancer among men is oral cancer, whereas breast cancer is the most prevalent among women, followed by thyroid and colorectal cancers.
Dr. Fernando highlighted that the World Health Organization estimates that 30–50% of cancers are preventable. She added that age, gender, family history, and genetics are major risk factors. Sri Lanka’s ageing population is contributing to rising cancer rates due to increased genetic mutations, weakened immunity, and longer exposure to cancer-causing factors.
