‘Unify to Notify’– Urges Government to Classify Cancer a Notifiable Disease in I ndia
Apollo Cancer Centre, AROI, and TAMP OS come together with a unified voice t o fight against cancer
Chennai, 4th February 2025: Apollo Can cer Centres, in collaboration with Associ ation of Radiation Oncologists of India (AROI), TN Association of Surgical Onco lbnbb5bhhhogy (TASO), Tamil Nadu Me ed yical and Pediatric Oncolo megist So ciety (TAMPOS) launches a nationwide campaign–Unify to Notify–on World Cancer Day.
The campaign urges the Government of India to classify cancer as a notifiable disease, a much-needed critical step for combating the menace of the disease. In addition, an interactive panel discussion on ‘Making Cancer a Notifiable Disease Nationally’ was organized, moderated b y Dr. Sankar Srinivasan, Senior Consult ant, Medical Oncology – Apollo Cancer Centre, Teynampet. Panelists included representatives from AROI, TAMPOS, TASO, along with Dr. Suresh S, HOD & Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, Apollo Cancer Centre, Vanagaram, and Dr. Prasad Eswaran, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology – Apollo Proton Can cer Centre. The discussion underscored the collective urgency to classify cancer as a notifiable disease and the significan ant impact it would have on improving data collection, resource allocation, and patient outcomes.
India currently reports over 14 lakhs n ew cancer cases annually, with the num ber expected to rise to 15.7 lakhs by 20 ly strengthening India’s role in global on cology research and care
In 2022, the Parliamentary Standing Co mmittee on Health and Family Welfare submitted a report to the Rajya Sabha recommending cancer be classified as a notifiable disease. Through this initiati ve, the industry experts are hoping that the Government of India take the next logical move which is to pass this Bill in both the Upper and Lower Houses in the upcoming budget session.
Dr. Balasundaram V, President, Associat ion of Radiation Oncologists of India (A ROI) Tamil Nadu and Puducherry chapte r, said, “AROI supports the notification o f cancer as a disease as it will provide us with crucial epidemiological data neede d for evidence-based policy-making. Ou r current estimates of cancer burden in India are based on limited data. Mandat ory reporting will give us accurate insigh ts into cancer patterns, helping us desig n better prevention strategies and alloc ate research funding more effectively.”
Dr Ayyappan, Secretary – TN Associatio n of Surgical Oncology (TASO) said, Earl y diagnosis and treatment for cancer im bbproves quality of life and reduces the cost of care. TASO stands firmly with thi s initiative to make cancer a notifiable d isease and accessible to all by spreading extensive awareness. This step will brid ge the current gaps in our cancer surveil lance system and enable better coordin ation between various healthcare prov iders. Apollo Cancer Centres has been a t the forefront of providing comprehens ive cancer care, and we believe that the notification of cancer will enable all of u s to further enhance the services towar ds better cancer care. By making cancer a notifiable disease, we can ensure that all cancer cases are reported and docum ented, enabling us to track cancer incide nce, mortality, and survival rates.”
Dr Kalaichelvi K, President, Tamil Nadu Medical and Pediatric Oncologist Socie ty (TAMPOS) said, “Making cancer notifi able will revolutionize our understan di ng of cancer patterns at the state level. I t will help us identify regional variations in cancer types and risk factors, leading to more targeted prevention programs. Apollo Cancer Centres has established a network of cancer centres across the co untry, which will play a critical role in collecting and analyzing cancer data at the state level. By analyzing cancer data at the state level, we can identify areas with high cancer incidence and develop targeted interventions to address these disparities.”
Speaking at the event, Mr. Harshad Red dy, Director Group Oncology & Internat lional, AHEL, emphasized, “Making canc er a notifiable disease is a transformativ e step that will revolutionize how we ap proach cancer care in India. With proper documentation of every cancer case, we can better understand patterns, allocat e resources efficiently, and develop targ eted treatment protocols. At Apollo Can cer Centres, we have already establishe d a robust cancer registry, which has en abled us to track cancer trends and outc omes. We are now seeking the invalua ble support of industry experts and urge the Government of India to pass this Bill in both the Upper and Lower Houses, to enable better cancer care and research across India.”
Photo Caption 1 : Left to Right : Dr Ayy appan, Secretary – TN Association of Su rgical Oncology (TASO), Dr Sankar Srin ivasan, Senior Consultant – Medical Onc ology, Apollo Cancer Centre, Teynampe t, Mr Harshad Reddy, Director, Group O ncology & International, Apollo Hospita als , Dr. Balasundaram V, President, Ass ociation of Radiation Oncologists of Ind ia (AROI) Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry c hapter, Dr Kalaichelvi K, President, Tam il Nadu Medical and Pediatric Oncolo gi st Society (TAMPOS),
Dr Suresh S, HOD & Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, Apollo Cancer Cent re, Vanagaram, Dr Prasad Eswaran, Sen ior Consultant, Medical Oncology- Apol lo Proton Cancer Centre
The ‘Unify to Notify’ campaign represe nts a yeoman step towards transformin g cancer care in India and identifying ca ncer as a notifiable disease, where every cancer case counts, every patient matte rs, and no data point is lost in the journ ey towards better cancer care in India.
While 15 states, including Haryana, Ka rnataka, Tripura, West Bengal, Punjab, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Guj jarat, Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, and Rajasthan, have already made cancer a notifiable disease, nationwide implementation r emains a necessity. Globally, over 12 co untries including the US, England and W ales, Scotland, Denmark, Nordic countri es, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Isra el, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and The Gambia, have recognised the importance of man datory cancer reporting.
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