Rising cancer burden calls for expansion of cancer-care facilities beyond major metropolitan centres; India could see around 20 lakh new cases annually by 2030, says Dr Jitendra Singh
Dr Jitendra Singh calls for cooperation from citizens and society to check malpractices like food adulteration etc that may add to the Cancer burden:
TMC expanding cancer-care facilities at different levels across the country, from cancer treatment and radiation to prevention, early detection and training of State-level doctors
Vidisha cancer-care programme to progressively expand with trained doctors and nursing personnel, advanced diagnostics, radiotherapy and LINAC, cancer registries and palliative care
TMC’s national cancer-care network now spans 11 institutional units, while National Cancer Grid connects 300+ cancer centres; GMC Kathua also part of expanding regional cancer-care ecosystem
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, today said that the rising cancer burden in the country calls for a sustained expansion of cancer-care facilities at different levels so that patients can access quality treatment closer to their homes. He said that the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), through Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), is working to take cancer-care capabilities to different parts of the country, with services ranging from cancer treatment and radiation to prevention, early detection, diagnosis and training of medical professionals.
Dr Jitendra Singh also called for cooperation from citizens and society to check malpractices like food adulteration etc that may add to the Cancer burden.
Dr. Jitendra Singh was speaking at the inauguration of the Day-Care Cancer Facility at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Shri Rajendra Shukla were among the dignitaries present on the occasion. The facility is being developed with technical support from Tata Memorial Centre, Department of Atomic Energy, as part of a phased effort to strengthen cancer-care services at the medical college.
The Minister said that the Vidisha initiative should be seen as part of a larger national effort under which the Department of Atomic Energy, through Tata Memorial Centre, is developing cancer-care capabilities at different levels according to local requirements. “Somewhere it is cancer care, somewhere it is radiation, and we are also training State-level doctors in cancer management,” he said, stressing the need to take specialised cancer-care capabilities beyond major metropolitan centres.
The Vidisha programme began with a Cancer Gap Care Analysis undertaken by a multidisciplinary team of senior specialists from Tata Memorial Centre from June 5 to 7, 2026. The team comprised specialists in surgical, medical and radiation oncology, pathology and preventive care. During the same period, a large-scale cancer screening and awareness camp was organised in Vidisha. 586 cancer patients and 254 suspected cases were identified during the two-day screening programme, with arrangements made for appropriate further treatment and referral.
The Minister said that the day-care facility is the first step in a phased expansion of cancer-care services at Vidisha Medical College. Tata Memorial Centre has already provided a structured action plan covering equipment and drug procurement, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiotherapy, pathology, community outreach, cancer registries and palliative care.
As part of the manpower-development component, two doctors from the Medicine Department and seven nursing officers from Vidisha have already completed dedicated oncology training at ACTREC, Mumbai. Training of surgeons and surgical staff from Vidisha at ACTREC, Kharghar, is scheduled to commence shortly, with the objective of enabling the institution to manage common surgical cancers locally.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that radiotherapy is another important component of the Vidisha cancer-care plan. The Government of Madhya Pradesh has announced construction of a radiotherapy facility at Government Medical College, Vidisha, with a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) facility expected to be commissioned within the next two to three years. This will provide patients from Vidisha and surrounding districts access to advanced radiation treatment closer to home.
The programme also provides for strengthening cancer diagnostics and pathology services. Tata Memorial Centre has provided a comprehensive list of Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular markers required for accurate diagnosis and sub-typing of cancers. Pathology personnel from Vidisha are being prepared for specialised training at TMC, Mumbai, in oncopathology, IHC techniques and molecular diagnostics.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that cancer care cannot be limited to treatment after diagnosis and must also place strong emphasis on prevention and early detection. Tata Memorial Centre will work with the medical college towards establishing a centre of excellence for cancer prevention and early detection through education and research. Healthcare workers will also be trained in evidence-based strategies for reducing the cancer burden, with TMC supporting implementation and periodic monitoring.
The Vidisha programme will further strengthen local cancer data through the establishment of both a Population-Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) and a Hospital-Based Cancer Registry (HBCR). These registries will generate local information on cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis and treatment outcomes, providing an evidence base for future planning and allocation of resources. Dedicated palliative-care services are also being developed, with doctors and nursing personnel to receive structured training in palliative medicine.
Putting the Vidisha initiative in the wider national context, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the scale of the cancer challenge makes it necessary to expand access to cancer care beyond a limited number of major centres. He referred to projections that India could see around two million new cancer cases annually by 2030, making expansion of prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment capacity increasingly important.
He said that the Department of Atomic Energy through Tata Memorial Centre has already created a substantial institutional network for cancer care. According to a March 2026 PIB release, TMC has established 11 hospital/institutional units across seven States, including centres in Mumbai, Kharghar-New Mumbai, Punjab, Varanasi, Visakhapatnam, Muzaffarpur and Guwahati.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that this institutional network is complemented by the National Cancer Grid (NCG), which has grown into a collaborative network of more than 380 cancer centres, research organisations, patient groups and professional bodies. The Grid supports quality improvement, standardisation, manpower training and cancer research, helping strengthen cancer services across the country.
The Minister said that the objective is to create a system in which the expertise and experience of established cancer centres can progressively support institutions in other parts of the country. TMC's existing network provides models for developing stronger regional linkages, while the National Cancer Grid provides a platform for technical inputs, standardisation, training, research and knowledge-sharing.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also referred to the Government Medical College, Kathua, which is among the institutions where cancer-care capacity is being strengthened through collaboration with Tata Memorial Centre. The broader approach, he said, is to enable medical institutions outside the major metropolitan centres to progressively develop capabilities suited to the needs of their respective regions.
The Minister said that the cancer-care effort under DAE-TMC is therefore not limited to setting up standalone treatment facilities. It encompasses medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, advanced pathology, prevention and early detection, cancer surveillance, palliative care and training of doctors and nursing personnel.
The Vidisha initiative reflects this integrated approach. Beginning with the day-care facility, the medical college is moving towards a broader cancer-care framework that will progressively bring together treatment, diagnostics, radiotherapy, trained manpower, prevention, early detection, cancer registries and palliative care under one coordinated programme.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the larger objective is to ensure that the benefits of India's growing cancer-care ecosystem reach patients closer to where they live, reducing the need for patients and their families to travel long distances for diagnosis and treatment.
The Vidisha facility, he said, marks another step in taking specialised cancer-care capabilities beyond major metropolitan centres and building a more accessible, decentralised and comprehensive cancer-care network across the country.
