New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS): Investments in the field of cancer research in India were "dismal" and "embarrassing", oncologist and author Siddharth Mukherjee said here on Thursday.

"In a country with different levels of wealth, the investment in cancer research is dismal and a deep embarrassment. Smaller nations are doing much more in this field," Mukherjee said after a special screening of a documentary based on his Pulitzer winning book 'The Emperor of Maladies - A Biography of Cancer'.

"We are worried about film stars and cricket, but not about this serious issue," he said, adding that this involves the nations' will.

Mukherjee flagged tobacco related cancers as the most common in India.

"Tobacco related cancers are going to be the main cancers in Asia, specially in India and China," he said.

To a question on whether tobacco can be directly linked to cancer, he said: "There are a huge number of studies to prove this."

"I can at least quote 784 recent studies which establish the link between tobacco and cancer," he added.

The documentary based on the book has been made by Barak Goodman and Ken Burns in collaboration with Mukherjee and has already won numerous awards.