Now the way of treating cancer will change, this historic step of IIT Madras will prove to be a game changer for patients!
- bySherya
- 04 Feb, 2025

Now a new revolution is about to come in the treatment of a fatal disease like cancer. Scientists of IIT Madras have taken such a historic step, which can prove to be a game changer for patients.

Now a new revolution is about to come in the treatment of a fatal disease like cancer. Scientists of IIT Madras have taken a historic step which can prove to be a game changer for patients. This new technology will not only make the treatment more effective, but it will also enable patients to get better treatment with less pain and at less cost.
IIT Madras on Monday launched the 'India Cancer Genome Atlas', which will promote research on cancer and develop personalized treatments for this deadly disease. IIT Madras started this cancer genome program in 2020. Under this program, tissue samples of 480 breast cancer patients from across the country were analyzed and 960 whole exome tests were completed.
The institute has made this database publicly available for researchers and doctors. IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said that we hope that this data will help in understanding the causes of cancer in depth and preventive measures can be taken at the initial level. This atlas will be helpful in completing the genome information of various types of cancer in India.
In this study, IIT Madras worked in collaboration with Mumbai-based Karkinos Healthcare, Chennai Breast Clinic and Cancer Research and Relief Trust, Chennai. These institutions analysed the genetic changes found in Indian breast cancer samples and prepared a summary.
Cancer is a serious problem
Cancer remains a serious health problem in India and the world. According to a recent report by the Indian Council of Medical Research, the number of people suffering from this disease is constantly increasing. According to the National Cancer Registry Program, 1 in every 9 people in India is likely to develop cancer in their lifetime and currently 14,61,427 people are suffering from cancer.
12% increase in cancer patients
Cancer cases are increasing by 12.8% every year since 2022. Although cancer cases are increasing rapidly, the number of genome studies related to cancer in India has been low so far. Due to the lack of genomic data of cancer found in India, the specific genetic characteristics here have not been properly identified and listed. Due to this, neither cancer detection kits have been made nor effective medicines have been developed.