Tobacco Remains Primary Lung Cancer Risk in Karnataka

Lung cancer accounts for 6.1% of all new cancer cases in Karnataka, with 5,503 estimated cases in 2025, according to the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology.

Tobacco use is identified as the leading preventable risk factor, contributing to a disease burden that caused an estimated 2,048 deaths in the state in 2025.

Data shows lung cancer constitutes 9.6% of cancers in men and 3.5% in women, with Bengaluru alone estimated to record 1,028 cases and 363 deaths this year.