India’s First Childhood Cancer Survivor Registry Reports 94.5% Survival Rate

India’s first registry tracking childhood cancer survivors has revealed an encouraging five-year overall survival rate of 94.5 per cent and nearly 90 per cent event-free survival, according to a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia.

The Indian Childhood Cancer Survivorship (C2S) study, launched in 2016, is among the world’s first registries of its kind from a resource-limited setting. Researchers analysed data from 5,419 children diagnosed with cancer before the age of 18, all of whom were in remission post-treatment, across 20 centres nationwide. Survival data was available for 5,140 participants.

The study was conducted by a collaborative team including experts from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre.

Researchers said the registry provides critical insights into long-term outcomes and highlights the potential for structured survivorship programs even in resource-constrained settings. The findings underscore the importance of follow-up care, early intervention for complications, and comprehensive survivorship planning to further improve outcomes for children with cancer in India.

This pioneering initiative is expected to guide policy-making and support expansion of childhood cancer care and survivorship programs across the country.