Assam has India's highest cancer survival rate at 62 per cent: State Health Minister

Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal on July 7 claimed that Assam has recorded the highest cancer survival rate in the country at 62 per cent, significantly higher than the national average of 40 per cent, attributing the achievement to the state's decentralised cancer care model and large-scale early detection programme.

Speaking during the Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Singhal said Assam's comprehensive approach to cancer care spans early detection, treatment, palliative care, survivorship and research. He said the state has developed a decentralised network of cancer hospitals to ensure treatment is accessible beyond Guwahati and Dibrugarh.

According to the minister, the state has planned a network of 17 cancer hospitals, of which 12 are currently operational. The facilities include the State Cancer Institute in Guwahati, comprehensive cancer care centres in Dibrugarh, Barpeta, Silchar and Diphu, and diagnostic and day-care centres in Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Darrang, Tezpur, Kokrajhar, Golaghat and Tinsukia.

Singhal said the state has intensified cancer screening with a target of covering 1.24 crore people. So far, around 47 lakh people have been screened, leading to the early detection of more than 900 cancer patients. He said the increase in detected cases reflects the success of mass screening, as cancers that would otherwise have been diagnosed in advanced stages are now being identified at Stages I and II, improving treatment outcomes.

The minister also announced that Assam will become the first state in India to offer proton therapy for cancer patients, with the advanced treatment expected to be introduced within the next few weeks.

Highlighting the performance of the Assam Cancer Care Network, Singhal said that till May 2026, the network had registered 2,26,923 new cases, including 71,517 new cancer patients. It has provided 5,85,533 outpatient consultations, admitted 48,659 inpatients, administered 1,56,973 chemotherapy sessions, delivered radiation therapy to 17,408 patients, performed 9,563 major surgeries, and conducted more than one lakh CT scans, with treatment offered free of cost under various government schemes.

He further said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has recommended the Assam model of cancer care for adoption by other states, adding that several states, including Bihar, have already studied the state's healthcare system.