The existing facilities for cancer care are totally inadequate to care for the ever increasing number in our country. Cancer control program is highly complicated because individually each cancer is different in its etiology, clinical progression, early detection, control strategy and ultimate outcome.

The Government of India, in its national control plan has set up Regional Cancer Centers (RCC) for cancer control in the region. Apart from cancer treatment, these centers are envisaged to undertake cancer control activities in the community such as cancer registration, cancer research, rehabilitation, palliative care and cancer pain relief. It is estimated that there are about 2.5 million cancer patients, 8.3 lakhs new cases and 5.5 lakhs deaths due to cancer in India. Kerala has around thirty thousand new cases, of which RCC can handle about one third of the cases. The severity of the problem is such that we need more facilities to care for all patients.