COLOMBO, Feb. 9 -- Sri Lanka is facing a sharp rise in cancer cases, with around 100 new diagnoses reported each day across the island, Deputy Health Minister Dr Hansaka Wijemuni said on Monday (9).

Speaking at the opening of a new Early Cancer Detection Centre at the Colombo National Hospital, Wijemuni warned that many patients continue to seek medical attention only after symptoms have progressed to advanced stages, contributing to a high daily death toll.

He said cancer claims about 40 lives a day in Sri Lanka, adding that late presentation remains the biggest challenge for health authorities.

"The number of reported cases is rising daily," Wijemuni said, explaining, "Our objective is to reverse this trend through accessible and tim...