OnCo
institutionsInstitution

Tata Memorial Centre

India's largest cancer centre, a leader in low-cost, high-impact trials such as low-dose immunotherapy and oral metronomic chemotherapy.

70,000 new patients a year; landmark trials on low-dose nivolumab in head and neck cancer, cervical screening (VIA), and affordable radiotherapy.

Location
Mumbai, IN
Type
cancer center
Website
tmc.gov.in
Newsweek 2026 oncology rank
#80
OnCo score
#35 · 54 points (0 Newsweek + 0 NCI + 54 from 27 linked objects) · ranking

Programmes

3top
  • Low-cost immunotherapy trials
  • Cervical screening
  • Head and neck cancer

People

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Kumar Prabhash
Professor and Head, Department of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital
Head and neck cancerLung cancerMetronomic chemotherapy

Leads medical oncology at Tata Memorial and its programme of pragmatic trials that make treatments affordable.

Pankaj Chaturvedi
Head and neck surgical oncologist; Director, Centre for Cancer Epidemiology, Tata Memorial Centre
Head and neck surgeryTobacco controlCancer prevention

A surgeon and public-health campaigner whose work links oral cancer to tobacco and drives prevention policy in India.

Rajendra Badwe
Former Director, Tata Memorial Centre; breast surgical oncologist
Breast surgerySurgical oncology trialsPerioperative interventions

A surgeon-scientist whose low-cost randomised trials, from peritumoral lidocaine to timing of surgery, challenged assumptions in breast cancer.

Sudeep Gupta
Director, Tata Memorial Centre; Professor of Medical Oncology
Breast cancerGynaecologic oncologyClinical trials

Sudeep Gupta leads India's largest cancer centre and its programme of pragmatic, affordable trials.

Surendra Shastri
Preventive oncologist; former Head, Preventive Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital
Cervical cancer screeningVisual inspection with acetic acidBreast and oral cancer screening

Led the Mumbai trial showing that visual inspection with acetic acid by health workers cuts cervical cancer deaths.

Vanita Noronha
Professor of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital; geriatric oncology and lung cancer
Lung cancerGeriatric oncologyHead and neck cancer

A medical oncologist who co-leads Tata Memorial's lung cancer trials and built India's geriatric oncology programme.

Vijay Patil
Professor of Medical Oncology, Tata Memorial Hospital; head and neck oncology
Head and neck cancerLow-dose immunotherapyMetronomic chemotherapy

Showed that very low-dose nivolumab added to cheap chemotherapy improves survival in head and neck cancer, a landmark for affordable immunotherapy.

Connected

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cancers

2
Cervical cancerHead and neck squamous cell carcinoma

technologies

2
Cachexia pharmacotherapy: GDF-15 blockade, anamorelin, olanzapineGlobal oncology and access in low- and middle-income countries

institutions

3
Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in CancerCentral Drugs Standard Control OrganizationTata Medical Center, Kolkata

trials

2
Add-AspirinLow-dose olanzapine for cancer anorexia (Tata Memorial)

ideas

15
A cheap old tablet to restore appetiteA Global Fund for cancer care in low- and middle-income countriesA platform trial of very-low-cost metronomic chemotherapy in LMIC common cancersBlended finance and a low-cost linac to close the global radiotherapy gapBurden-matched funding for trials led in low- and middle-income countriesCommunity health workers with smartphone AI screen for mouth cancer in South AsiaConfirm low-dose olanzapine for appetite and weight in advanced cancer worldwideConfirm ultra-low-dose immunotherapy so it can be afforded where most patients liveDouble oncology capacity in low-resource settings with task-shifting and AI decision supportNational hub-and-spoke cancer networks with defined referral tiersPaid survivor peer-navigators as a recognised health workforce rolePivotal trials include sites in Africa, South Asia and Latin America, sponsor-fundedPublic-sector CAR-T manufacturing in India, Brazil and South Africa under $50,000Regional training hubs that produce oncologists, physicists and radiographers in-regionValidate low-cost metronomic oral regimens in phase 3 and carry them into guidelines

people

7
Kumar PrabhashPankaj ChaturvediRajendra BadweSudeep GuptaSurendra ShastriVanita NoronhaVijay Patil

bottlenecks

3
Most of the world has almost no cancer careNot enough oncologists, nurses, pathologists, physicistsTrials do not represent the people who get cancer