Chennai will house a dedicated women’s cancer screening centre at Thousand Lights by February, aiming to enhance early detection services for women across the city.
The Greater Chennai Corporation is establishing the three-storeyed facility at a cost of Rs 1.23 crore. It will provide free screening for breast, cervical, and ovarian cancers, which affect a large number of women in Tamil Nadu.
The Health Department will operate the centre from 8 AM to 5 PM on all days except Sundays.
The facility will include a mammogram unit for breast cancer detection, a laboratory for Pap smear tests to detect cervical cancer, and an ultrasound unit for abdominal and ovarian screenings.
In addition, a dedicated consultation room will allow patients to receive expert advice and follow-up care.
While government hospitals already provide various diagnostic services free of charge, advanced cancer screening tests such as mammograms and specialised scans often require women to seek private healthcare.
The new centre aims to bridge this gap and ensure early diagnosis, particularly for women from economically weaker sections of society.
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Announcing the initiative, Thousand Lights MLA Dr Ezhilan Naganathan stated that the centre was conceived in response to the growing cancer burden in Tamil Nadu.
“I wanted to establish a free, accessible cancer screening facility, particularly for women. Early detection can significantly improve survival rates. We also plan to maintain a detailed data registry of all women undergoing screening, which will help in research and long-term cancer prevention strategies,” he said.
Dr J Amalorpavanathan, member of the State Planning Commission, noted that the facility comes at a crucial time, as Tamil Nadu accounts for 6.4 per cent of India’s total cancer cases while representing only 5.6 per cent of the population.
He added that while cervical cancer remains common in rural areas, urban regions are witnessing a steady rise in breast cancer cases, a trend often linked to lifestyle changes, delayed marriages, and late childbirth.
The Thousand Lights centre is likely to significantly improve women’s healthcare in Chennai, providing free, high-quality cancer screening services and ensuring early detection for a large number of women.
By targeting the most prevalent cancers affecting women in the state, the initiative will support public health objectives, facilitate research, and promote long-term preventive strategies.
The centre marks a major step forward in Tamil Nadu’s healthcare infrastructure, especially in strengthening services for women, while also helping reduce the financial burden of advanced diagnostic tests.
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