India’s growing cancer burden is placing renewed focus on early detection, equitable access and the decentralisation of specialised oncology care. In this exclusive conversation, Malti Sachdev, SVP & Head – Varian India, Siemens Healthineers, shares with Dr. Asawari Savant, from Elets News Network (ENN), how AI, digital health, advanced radiation technology and public-private partnerships can help build a more connected, resilient and accessible cancer-care ecosystem across India. Edited excerpts

How can early detection and decentralized district-level cancer care improve accessibility across India, what infrastructure expansion and workforce development are needed to handle the rising cancer burden by 2026?

Early detection is critical to improving cancer outcomes in India, yet many patients are still diagnosed at advanced stages. The gap is not in medical capability, but in limited access to screening and diagnostic services at the community level. Strengthening early detection at primary and district levels can significantly improve survival. However, early detection must be supported by timely and accessible treatment. Cancer care today is increasingly multimodal – combining surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy for optimal outcomes. Radiation therapy alone is required in nearly 50% of cancer cases, often in combination with other treatment modalities, yet its current utilization in India remains significantly lower at around 28.5%.

Bridging this requires decentralisation of care. With cancer cases expected to exceed 1.5 million annually by 2026infrastructure must expand beyond metros. This includes scaling up LINAC machines and establishing radiation therapy units across district and Tier 2 and 3 hospitals. A hub-and-spoke model can enable advanced care at tertiary centres while bringing routine treatment closer to patients – reducing travel, cost, and delays. At the same time, workforce development is essential. Expanding training for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and technologists, along with strengthening oncology education, will be key to building a system that can meet growing demand effectively.

How can technology integration (AI, telemedicine, unified data systems) transform cancer diagnosis and treatment?

At Varian, a cancer care business of Siemens Healthineers, our mission of “Elevating Cancer Care” is deeply rooted in leveraging these technological leaps to create a more intelligent, personalized, and accessible patient journey. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming both diagnostics and treatment. In diagnostics, AI enhances imaging accuracy, enabling earlier detection and improved tumor characterization. It also supports faster, more consistent treatment planning by analyzing complex clinical data.

In the treatment phase, particularly in radiation therapy, we are witnessing a paradigm shift toward adaptive intelligence. Unlike traditional static approaches, AI-driven adaptive systems utilize real-time patient data – monitoring minute anatomical changes and tumor shrinkage – to continuously adjust therapy on the fly. This capability reduces complex treatment planning from days to mere minutes, empowering clinicians to make real-time decisions while the patient is still on the treatment couch. This ensures maximum radiation to the tumor while meticulously sparing surrounding healthy tissue. 

Do we need a central nodal agency to streamline coordination and accountability in cancer care?

The scale, economic impact, and clinical complexity of India’s cancer burden call for a more evolved approach to healthcare governance. Today, the oncology ecosystem remains fragmented, resulting in wide disparities in infrastructure, clinical protocols, and patient access across states.

A key challenge underpinning this fragmentation is access. Comprehensive cancer care centres continue to be concentrated in a few geographies, creating a significant regional skew. As a result, many patients are required to travel long distances for diagnosis and treatment – often leading to delays, treatment interruptions, and added emotional, physical, and financial strain. Addressing this imbalance is essential to creating meaningful impact and improving outcomes at scale.

While cancer care is currently addressed under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke, the inherently multi-modality nature of oncology requires a more focused and coordinated approach. Establishing a dedicated central nodal agency – building on the foundational work of the National Cancer Grid – could provide the structure and mandate needed to standardise clinical pathways across the country. Such an agency could play a critical role in aligning infrastructure planning, standardising equipment and treatment protocols, strengthening centre–state coordination, and enabling more strategic allocation of healthcare resources.

Also read: Google.org Invests $30 Million in AI for Government and Public Health Innovation

How can collaboration between government, private sector, and tech innovators accelerate a resilient cancer care ecosystem?

Rising cancer burden demands a multi-stakeholder approach to care delivery, particularly to address persistent gaps in infrastructure, access, and quality. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) offer a practical and scalable pathway to bridge these gaps by combining the strengths of different stakeholders.

In this model, the government brings policy direction, public health reach, and physical infrastructure, while the private sector contributes investment, advanced technologies, and operational expertise. For instance, in states with a higher cancer burden, PPPs can enable the establishment of radiotherapy centres within government hospitals. The public system provides space and core infrastructure, while the private partner invests in radiation therapy equipment and delivers clinical services. Treatment is offered at mutually agreed pricing, helping expand access to advanced care while strengthening the existing public health system. Beyond infrastructure, such collaborations can accelerate access to modern diagnostics, improve treatment capacity, and drive more consistent adoption of standardised clinical protocols. They also create opportunities for knowledge sharing, training, and capacity building across institutions. Technology innovators further strengthen this ecosystem by enabling digital health solutions, data integration, and remote care models – helping extend specialist expertise to underserved regions and improving continuity of care.

Like

Dislike

Be a part of Elets Collaborative Initiatives. Join Us for Upcoming Events and explore business opportunities. Like us on Facebook , connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter , Instagram.

"Exciting news! Elets technomedia is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest insights!" Click here!