Published Mar 12, 2026 | 4:10 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 12, 2026 | 4:10 PM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu launched TN-CReSt, a first-of-its-kind cancer analytics portal by the Cancer Institute (WIA) with state support. Built on registry data from 2012–2021, it enables users to study incidence trends, projections, and district-level patterns. The tool aids researchers, clinicians, and policymakers, aligning with Tamil Nadu’s broader cancer care mission of prevention, early detection, HPV vaccination, and stronger surveillance.
When cancer data becomes easier to access and understand, it can change how doctors, policymakers and communities respond to the disease.
Launching a new, first-of-its-kind analytical portal on cancer statistics in Tamil Nadu, Dr. R. Swaminathan, professor and head of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Cancer Registry at the Cancer Institute (WIA), said the idea was to make cancer data usable for everyone, from researchers to health officials.
“TN-CReSt is an online analytics tool where cancer incidence statistics can be obtained by anybody in a flexible manner,” Dr. Swaminathan, explained to South First.
“Using five parameters — age at diagnosis, gender, year of diagnosis, district of residence and cancer type — users can generate tables, graphs and downloadable fact sheets,” he added.
The Tamil Nadu – Cancer Registry Statistics (TN-CReSt) portal, launched in collaboration with the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu is designed to translate large volumes of cancer registry data into an accessible analytical platform.
Built on data collected through the Tamil Nadu Cancer Registry Programme (TNCRP), the tool aims to help researchers, clinicians and policymakers understand patterns in cancer incidence across the state.
The portal was launched as the institute marked the birth centenary of Dr. V. Shanta, the renowned oncologist and former chairperson of the Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai.
The new portal allows users to analyse cancer incidence data between 2012 and 2021 across multiple parameters.
According to Dr. R. Rama, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Cancer Registry, who explained the platform during the event, the tool offers three major analytical domains — recent cancer statistics, long-term trends and projections.
“Users can analyse cancer incidence based on age, gender, district and cancer site, and also study trends over time,” Dr. Rama said. “The portal can generate charts, tables and fact sheets that summarise key data points for the state or for individual districts.”
She added that the dashboard allows users to drill down into the data by selecting specific combinations of variables, enabling researchers and health planners to identify patterns in the distribution of cancer across Tamil Nadu.
The platform also generates statistics such as crude incidence rates, age-specific incidence rates and age-standardised incidence rates, widely used in epidemiological studies.
According to the team, it can also project the future burden of cancer in Tamil Nadu up to 2028, offering an important planning tool for health administrators.
The launch comes amid a broader push by the Tamil Nadu government to strengthen cancer prevention and treatment services. Dr. Arun Thamburaj, Mission Director of the National Health Mission in Tamil Nadu, said the state’s cancer care strategy now focuses on prevention, early detection and treatment.
“The Tamil Nadu Cancer Care Mission looks beyond treatment and emphasises prevention, awareness and lifestyle changes,” he said, noting that the government is working with partners such as UNICEF to develop a social and behavioural change communication strategy.
Tamil Nadu has also introduced HPV vaccination in four districts and has already vaccinated nearly 26,000 girls aged around 14 years, with coverage of about 80 percent in government schools in those districts.
“It is a very proud moment for us because we are looking at 2060 as the year when we could eliminate cervical cancer from Tamil Nadu,” said Dr. Arun Thamburaj.
Screening programmes have expanded as well. Clinical breast examinations and oral cancer screening are being conducted widely through organised programmes, which the state says have helped detect around 60 percent of cases in early stages.
While welcoming the portal, Dr. P. Senthilkumar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, stressed the importance of strengthening the data ecosystem.
“The cancer registry system presented today is an excellent initiative,” he said, but added that it was important to ensure that the data reflected the situation across the entire state.
“If data from government medical college hospitals and other institutions are incorporated, it will make the system more comprehensive,” he said.
He also pointed out that while the portal currently provides confirmed data up to 2021, more recent figures are projections, leaving a gap of two to three years. Reducing this lag, he suggested, would allow policymakers to respond more quickly to emerging trends.
Health officials said the registry builds on earlier efforts to strengthen cancer surveillance in the state. In 2012, the Tamil Nadu government designated the Cancer Institute (WIA) as the nodal cancer registry centre, and in 2018 cancer itself was declared a notifiable disease in the state.
“This data will help identify which districts are more affected, whether men or women are more impacted and which cancers are most common,” noted Dr. A. Rajmohan, Additional Director, Medical & Rural Health Services, Tamil Nadu.
For Dr. Kalpana Balakrishnan, Director & CEO of WIA, the initiative reflects a long-standing vision associated with the institute’s founder figure, Dr. V. Shanta.
She said the new platform would help translate data into action by guiding prevention and early detection strategies across Tamil Nadu.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
