Cancer is not just a disease — it’s a battle that tests the strength of families, communities, and humanity itself.
In India, according to ICMR estimates, over 14 lakh new cancer cases are diagnosed each year, and nearly one in nine individuals will face cancer in their lifetime.
Yet, more than 60% of cases are detected late, when treatment is less effective, painful, and financially devastating.
The reality is harsher for geriatric patients and women from low-income backgrounds.
Elderly patients are often left untreated due to cost and physical frailty, while women—especially in rural areas—suffer in silence, delaying diagnosis until it’s too late.
Moved by these stories, Dr. V. Ashwin Karuppan and the Tambaram Medical Foundation (TMF) launched the Cancer Support, Awareness & Early Diagnosis Program — a beacon of hope designed to provide free, complete cancer care and prevention to those who need it most.
Our Commitment and Impact
1. Adopting Geriatric Cancer Patients
- TMF provides complete medical and emotional care to elderly cancer patients — from diagnosis to chemotherapy, medications, and follow-up, all free of cost.
- This program ensures that no senior citizen spends their final years in pain or neglect due to poverty.
- Each adopted patient receives comprehensive treatment, emotional counselling, and dignity — because healing is more than just medicine.
2. Free Mammogram and Women’s Cancer Awareness
- A family without its women has no heartbeat, and TMF believes protecting women’s health is protecting the nation’s strength.
- Through our Free Mammogram Program, we provide early breast cancer screening for women, especially in rural and underprivileged communities.
- Early detection saves lives — and with timely intervention, breast cancer survival rates can exceed 90%.
- Our awareness drives encourage women to speak up, undergo screenings, and prioritize their own well-being.
3. Awareness and Early Diagnosis Camps
- Regular community screening camps for breast, cervical, and oral cancers, reaching thousands across Tamil Nadu.
- Health education workshops teach families to recognize early signs, break taboos, and seek timely medical help.
- Local collaborations with PHCs and NGOs ensure continuity of care and follow-up for at-risk individuals.
Future Vision
- Mobile Cancer Screening Units to reach 500,000 individuals across rural and semi-urban Tamil Nadu by 2030.
- Expansion of three dedicated Geriatric Oncology Centers, offering integrated treatment and palliative support.
- Comprehensive Women’s Cancer Center focusing on breast, cervical, and reproductive cancers.
- Research collaborations to explore geriatric chemotherapy protocols and early diagnostic biomarkers.
- Establish a Community Cancer Support Fund, allowing donors to “adopt a patient” or “sponsor a woman’s mammogram”, making their contribution directly life-changing.
Beyond Treatment – Restoring Dignity
- Psychological counselling and palliative care for patients and their families.
- Nutritional rehabilitation and physiotherapy to improve recovery and quality of life.
- Home-based care support for those unable to travel for treatment.
- Integration with TMF’s Grocery and Dialysis Programs, ensuring total care — medical, nutritional, and emotional.
Awareness for a Cancer-Free Tomorrow
- School and college outreach to build awareness on cancer prevention and healthy living.
- Public campaigns promoting tobacco cessation, vaccination (HPV, Hepatitis B), and lifestyle modification.
- Corporate partnerships to encourage workplace cancer screening and CSR engagement.
The Cancer Program represents more than treatment; it is a holistic ecosystem dedicated to saving lives today, advancing prevention strategies tomorrow, and driving continuous innovation in cancer care.
