More patients are walking through the doors of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (HBCH&RC), Punjab, each year — and doctors say that trend underlines how urgently the region needs accessible, comprehensive cancer care.
The observation came as the institute, a unit of the Department of Atomic Energy’s Tata Memorial Centre, wrapped up the third edition of the Homi Bhabha Cancer Conclave (HBCC) 2026 on Sunday.
Held from August 21 to 23, this year’s edition was themed ‘Bridging Gaps in Oncology – Multidisciplinary Management of Common Cancers’.
Presenting the hospital’s performance data at the conclave, director Dr Ashish Gulia said patients arrive not only from Punjab but from Haryana, Chandigarh (UT), Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.
The 2025 tally: 17,903 new registrations, 51,155 chemotherapy sessions, over 6,840 surgical procedures, 28,403 admissions, 7,805 radiotherapies and more than 12.6 lakh laboratory investigations.
“The new patient registrations are increasing year by year, in both our New Chandigarh and Sangrur campuses. In 2026, the hospital has already crossed 13,260 new patient registrations, further indicating the increasing demand for comprehensive cancer treatment services,” the director said.
“The steadily increasing number of patients shows the growing cancer burden in the region. Our responsibility is to ensure that this growing demand is met with accessible, evidence-based and compassionate cancer care,” he further added.
Of the conclave itself, Dr Gulia said the intent was to bring hundreds of the country’s best oncologists together for meaningful dialogue around the complexities of cancer care.
Over three days, more than 500 specialists and healthcare professionals attended lectures, panel discussions, scientific presentations and pre-conference workshops.
Focus on Early Detection
Sunday saw a Cancer Awareness Walkathon at Sukhna Lake, where over 400 healthcare workers, patients, survivors and residents pushed the message of prevention and early detection.
Chandigarh deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav was the chief guest.
“Early detection remains our most powerful defence in the fight against cancer. When caught at an early stage, cancer is not only highly treatable, but often completely curable,” Dr Gulia added.
Also Read: Homi Bhabha Cancer Conclave 2026: Can Better Collaboration Transform Cancer Care?
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