Talking about the Cancer burden in the country, India has the third highest number of cancer cases and over a million new cases diagnosed annually. But, was it this way all along?
About 150 years ago, there were no recorded cases of Cancer in India. With most of the population living in rural areas and doctors not being specially trained to treat cancer, it became difficult to save people from this disease. In 1931, when Sir Dorabji Tata lost his wife to Leukemia, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust was founded to research cancers. Based on this, later in 1941, the Tata Memorial Hospital was founded, and it became a very important event, as it first introduced oncology as a specialty in India. People could seek qualified care and it also promoted Cancer research to a great extent. In this session, hear Dr. Jayanti Gupta talk about how the Cancer research evolved and the statistics of Oncology in India over time.