On the occasion of the observance of World Cancer Day, February 4 2019, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) Director and Vice Chancellor Dr. T S Ravikumar announced on February 3 about the launch of “SVIMS Institute of Cancer and Allied Sciences” on the occasion of World Cancer Day on Feb 4.

An application for central government NPCDCS program for strengthening Tertiary Caner Centre at SVIMS was not funded, since allocation for Andhra Pradesh state was already made to another government hospital despite the fact that SVIMS is the only system in AP with training programs in all 3 specialties; Medical Oncology (DM), Surgical Oncology (MCh) and Radiation Oncology(MD).

However, undeterred by this, SVIMS director has made stepwise progress in developing this virtual SVIMS Institute of Cancer and Allied Health Sciences during the last 2-3 years with TTD support and philanthropic donations. Full spectrum of cancer services, unmatched by any other system in the region, will now be coalesced within SVIMS Institute of Cancer and Allied Sciences and programs of excellence will be developed” , Dr. Ravikumar, who is also a cancer expert, said in a statement.

According to WHO 2018 data, the estimated new cancer cases in 2018 is 11.57 lakhs and 7.84 lakhs cancer related deaths in India. In USA 1.735 million are diagnosed with cancer each year with 609,000 deaths. The death rate is as low as 35 per cent in America while it is nearly 68 per cent in India or double that of USA.So, the goal of all cancer control strategies is to improve the survival rate through early diagnosis and then towards cancer prevention” said Dr. Ravikumar.

More women than men are affected in India. Nearly 5,87,249 women are diagnosed with cancer whereas 5,70,045 men are diagnosed with cancer in India each year. Cancer deaths in women in India is 3,71,000 per year, with death rate of 63 per cent. In the Globocan of WHO, country specific data source is derived from 26 cancer registries in India. The population of Andhra Pradesh is not represented, since thre is lack of population-based Cancere Registry in the state. Developing a ‘Caner Registry’ was one of our intents in the Strengthening of Tertiary Caner Centre proposal in 2016.