In December 2006, I visited the institute’s facilities and met with the Chairman Dr. V. Shanta, Ms. Janaki and Ms. Paulina - two head nurses who were my guides, other doctors and many patients. The following is a narration of my experience based on interactions with these dedicated and interesting people.

The institute was started as a non-profit organization in 1954 by Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, a social reformer and India’s first woman medical graduate. The humble beginning of the institute in Adyar, with just 2 doctors and 12 beds, was a reflection of the status of cancer at that time. In contrast to its high profile today, cancer was barely accepted as a subject worth inclusion in the study of medicine.

The vision of the early leaders has since created breakthroughs in education, research, patient care and overall awareness. The Cancer Institute has grown in size from a small hut toa state of the art annex facility, located between IIT and Gandhi Mandapam in Adyar, Chennai. On an average day, about 750 patients receive treatment, the majority of them for free or at heavily subsidized prices.

I had the unique opportunity to get an insider’s view, witness the inner workings of the organization and be touched by humanitarianism. Above all, I was lucky to peek into the mind of a legend among us, Dr. Shanta. She runs the institute out of her office located in the heart of the Cancer Institute. She summarizes the significant historical milestones of the institute not as achievements but as ‘change’. Change creates opportunities for future development, unlike achievements which imply an end to accomplishments.

                                      

Dr. Shanta’s perception of the future clearly focuses on three aspects. Firstly, dramatic improvement in early detection of cancer is imperative. More than 75% of the patients arrive at an advanced stage. By spreading of awareness and public education on testing methods, Dr. Shanta believes that cure of cancer in patients can be nearly guaranteed. Secondly, collaboration among neighboring institutes is critical. While local cancer research centers take pride in finding allies located far away, such as in north India or in other countries, there is significant benefit in building a local support network and sharing demographically relevant information. Finally, research is desperately needed. Research is important in order to sustain our collective fight against cancer. But sadly both funding and organizational setup leave a lot to be desired for research aspirants.

The main ingredient of success of the organization is the passion of the employees. The doctors and nurses I met at the laboratories and wards have each worked at the Cancer Institute for years, if not decades. Matron Janaki, has worked for over 40 years. Sister Paulina at the annex campus, has worked for over 20 years. Although she is now retired, she still spends a few hours each day in administrative support and staff training. Although consolidation of experience is strength, Dr. Shanta is quick to recognize that maintaining dynamism and high-level training is necessary for progress and innovation.

Another highlight of Cancer Institute is the high quality of treatment. While there are shortages of resources, interestingly, lack of equipment was not one of them. The Cancer Institute is on top of its game. Brilliant doctors and equipment with state-of-the-art technology aid in providing unmatched quality of service. Today, tools help target tumors to a precision of 0.5cm, dramatically reducing side effects of radiation therapy and recovery time for patients. The dedication of the organization to provide the best treatment is prevalent among the departments and clearly defined at every level of the organization. I found this to be particularly encouraging, as effective cancer treatment for patients relies on access to advanced medical technology.

Toward the end of my tour, I visited the construction site of a pediatric unit. Currently diagnosis, critical care, in-patent treatment and out-patient treatment for children happen at various locations across two campuses. The aim is to consolidate all child care under one roof to reduce stress on both patients and staff. The pervading atmosphere of hard work and optimism is as important as high technology in the treatment of children with a tragic illness.

My experience during the two days can be summarized as eye-opening and inspiring. The Cancer Institute demonstrates that hope is a crucial weapon in the fight against cancer. In this context, it is an honor for Thillana to play a role in supporting an organization which has and will continue to bring positive changes to the world around us. Thillana’s contributions will go towards furnishing intensive care units with new equipments and similar needs to maintain the institute leadership in state-of-art technology. Thanks to our liaison, the Cancer Institute Foundation coordinated by Kannan Vairavan, for giving us an opportunity to play a role in an important mission.

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