‘Equal cancer care is top priority’, says UICC president-elect

The UICC has the ability to connect governments, doctors, researchers, patients and civil society groups. Dr CS Pramesh said this strength should be used to turn research and evidence into policies that make a real difference to patients

MUMBAI: Making cancer treatment and care more accessible will be a top priority for Dr CS Pramesh, the new president-elect of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), which brings together more than 1,100 member organisations across 170 countries.

Dr CS Pramesh

“I have seen both the extraordinary progress we have made and the substantial inequities that persist. My focus will be on learning from successful approaches, sharing them across countries and turning the common goal of equal cancer care into better outcomes for patients,” said Dr Pramesh, director of Tata Memorial Hospital and professor and head of thoracic surgery at Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai.

He was elected president of the UICC for the 2026-2028 term during the organisation’s general assembly on October 20. The meeting also saw the appointment of its new board of directors for 2026-2028. While Dr Pramesh will be the UICC president-elect from 2026-28, he will be the organisation’s president from 2028-30.

In an interaction with the Hindustan Times after his election, Dr Pramesh said he would bring cancer organisations, governments and healthcare professionals together to improve access to treatment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

For him, making cancer treatment affordable is not just about reducing the cost of medicines. It is also about ensuring that patients can access early diagnosis, quality treatment and the right medical advice without their financial condition or place of residence becoming a barrier. “I believe that cancer care should not depend on a person’s income, where they live, or their ability to navigate a complex health system,” he said.

The UICC has the ability to connect governments, doctors, researchers, patients and civil society groups. Dr Pramesh said this strength should be used to turn research and evidence into policies that make a real difference to patients.

He also believes that India has important lessons to share with the world, especially in building a cancer care system that works across different income groups and regions.

India’s National Cancer Grid (NCG), which began with a relatively small group of cancer centres, has grown into a network of more than 420 cancer centres, research institutions, patient groups and professional organisations in India and abroad. Its member organisations treat more than 860,000 new cancer patients every year, accounting for around 60% of India’s cancer burden.

Dr Pramesh said the importance of the network lies not only in its size but also in its approach to bringing institutions together. Through shared treatment guidelines, training, research, quality improvement and virtual tumour boards, the network helps hospitals improve treatment standards and reduce differences in the care patients receive. Such a model can also help make medical expertise available beyond large cities.

As UICC president-elect, Dr Pramesh also wants to strengthen cooperation among member organisations and encourage countries to work towards universal health coverage. Sharing successful models between countries and adapting them to local conditions will be important in making progress, he said.

He also sees potential in the UICC’s Access to Oncology Medicines (ATOM) initiative, which aims to improve access to affordable cancer medicines in regions where treatment remains difficult to obtain. Looking ahead to the end of his UICC presidency, Dr Pramesh’ hopes to see a shift from promises of equal cancer care to action on the ground.