Every year Kerala sees nearly 50000 new cancer patients according to the projected data form the Trivandrum PBCR. If you look at the statistics available at the developed countries we should have one oncologist for 100 cancer patients. But it is sad that there are only less than 50 surgical oncologists for the entire state of Kerala for more than 3 crores of population.

The history of cancer surgery of Kerala began three decades back form its humble beginning in Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum. The first onco-surgery unit in the state was started by Dr. Thomas Cherian, who is considered to be the father figure of surgical oncology of Kerala. After establishment of Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum in 1981, Dr. Thomas Cherian was appointed as Surgical Oncologist and he had begun his carrier by doing salvage surgeries after Radiotherapy failures. Regional Cancer Centre has trained a large number of surgeons who worked as faculty and later started practicing in various parts of country .They took the cancer surgery of Kerala to a new level. But owing to the fact that a formal training in cancer surgery was started only in the recent past in RCC, The number of qualified oncosurgerons is much less compared to other states. It also should be noted that the number of cancers diagnosed in Kerala are increasing in a faster rate compared to the remaining parts of the country. Recently there was a report in press, saying that Trivandrum has the largest rate of breast cancers among many cities in India. In view of all these facts it is prudent to strengthen the branch of surgical oncology in Kerala state. We are launching this forum to promote the specialty of surgical oncology, to promote training in cancer surgery, to educate the doctors about recent advances in surgical oncology and to educate the public about cancer surgery and its importance so attracting young surgeons to a specialty of cancer surgery is very important in long term perspective.