NEW DELHI — A senior oncologist urged India’s health authorities to expand cancer‑treatment facilities closer to patients’ homes, arguing that proximity can improve survival rates and reduce the financial and emotional burden on families.
At a health forum in Hyderabad, Dr. R. K. Mohan, senior consultant at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in Hyderabad, highlighted that many patients from Andhra Pradesh travel long distances to major metropolitan hospitals for diagnosis and therapy. “Travel costs, loss of income, and the stress of being away from family often lead to delayed treatment or abandonment of therapy,” Dr. Mohan said. He added that early‑stage cancers have a significantly better prognosis when treated promptly, a benefit that is undermined when patients face logistical hurdles.
What happened
Dr. Mohan cited data from the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) showing that Andhra Pradesh records a cancer incidence of roughly 87 cases per 100,000 people, with breast, cervical and oral cancers among the most common types. Despite this burden, the state has only a handful of government‑run oncology units outside the capital, Hyderabad. Consequently, patients frequently travel to distant cities such as Chennai, Bengaluru and Mumbai for care.
In response, the Andhra Pradesh health department announced a “Cancer Care Near Home” initiative. The plan, slated for rollout in the 2026‑27 fiscal year, aims to upgrade district hospitals with radiotherapy machines and to train additional oncology nurses. Officials said the program will establish at least one comprehensive cancer centre in each of the state’s 13 districts, aligning with the National Cancer Control Programme’s target of reducing cancer mortality by 25 % by 2030.
Why it matters
Public‑health analysts stress that the distance patients must travel can translate into substantial out‑of‑pocket expenditures. The Ministry of Health estimates that out‑of‑pocket spending accounts for about 70 % of cancer‑treatment costs for low‑income households. When families must bear travel, lodging and lost‑wage costs, they may postpone or abandon treatment, lowering survival odds.
Dr. Sunita Rao, a public‑health researcher at the Indian Institute of Public Health, cautioned that infrastructure alone will not solve the problem. “Building machines is necessary but not sufficient; we need early detection, reliable pathology services and affordable chemotherapy,” she said.
Background and context
India’s cancer burden has risen sharply over the past decade, driven by demographic shifts, lifestyle changes and improved detection. The NCRP’s 2023 report placed Andhra Pradesh among the states with the highest incidence of breast and oral cancers. Yet, the distribution of oncology services remains heavily skewed toward a few urban centres. The RCC in Hyderabad, a tertiary‑care hub, handles a large share of the state’s caseload, creating capacity constraints and long waiting lists.
The “Cancer Care Near Home” initiative builds on earlier central‑government schemes, such as the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP), which encourages states to develop district‑level oncology services. However, implementation has been uneven. In neighboring states, pilot projects that equipped district hospitals with linear accelerators have shown mixed results, often hampered by shortages of trained radiation oncologists and maintenance challenges.
Competing claims and uncertainty
While Dr. Mohan and state officials present the expansion as a solution to access barriers, some experts question whether the proposed rollout can be achieved within the announced timeline. Dr. Rao noted that training sufficient oncology nurses and technicians typically takes 18‑24 months, and that retaining skilled staff in peripheral districts has historically been difficult.
Another point of contention concerns the cost‑effectiveness of installing radiotherapy equipment in districts with relatively low patient volumes. A 2022 health‑economics study (cited in a policy brief referenced by the forum) suggested that centralising radiotherapy in regional hubs can achieve economies of scale, whereas decentralised units may operate below capacity, raising per‑patient costs.
The state’s health department, however, argues that the social benefits—reduced travel burden, higher treatment adherence and potential early‑stage detection through closer screening—justify the investment. Officials have not released a detailed budget, but indicated that the programme will draw from both state allocations and central grants under the NCCP.
What to watch next
Key indicators to monitor over the next 12‑18 months include:
1. Infrastructure rollout – Confirmation of radiotherapy machine installations in each district, and the timeline for commissioning.
2. Human‑resource development – Numbers of oncology nurses and technicians trained, and retention rates in district hospitals.
3. Utilisation metrics – Patient volumes at new district centres versus referral rates to tertiary hospitals.
4. Clinical outcomes – Changes in stage at diagnosis, treatment completion rates and 1‑year survival statistics for common cancers (breast, cervical, oral).
5. Financial impact – Shifts in out‑of‑pocket spending for households accessing district‑level care.
Stakeholders such as patient‑advocacy groups, the Indian Cancer Society and independent health‑policy think tanks have pledged to track these metrics and publish periodic assessments.
Conclusion
Dr. R. K. Mohan’s call underscores a persistent gap in India’s oncology landscape: the distance between patients and specialised care. Andhra Pradesh’s “Cancer Care Near Home” initiative represents a policy response that could, if fully resourced and effectively managed, lower financial barriers, improve treatment adherence and ultimately enhance survival outcomes. Yet, the success of the programme will hinge on addressing staffing shortages, ensuring equipment maintenance and integrating robust screening and pathology services. Close monitoring of implementation milestones and health‑outcome data will be essential to determine whether proximity translates into measurable benefits for the state’s cancer patients.
Sources
– The Hindu, “Expert highlights importance of cancer care close to home for patients,” https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/expert-highlights-importance-of-cancer-care-close-to-home-for-patients/article71182459.ece
Story synopsis gathered from: The Hindu – National — source
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