The "MNJ Cancer Hospital & Radium Institute," a 40 bedded Hospital was established by Nawab Mehdi Nawaj Jung and inaugurated by the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 8 th December, 1955. It was the first centre in Andhra Pradesh to provide cancer care.

From this humble beginning it has grown to its present stature and in March, 1996 it was awarded the status of Regional Cancer Centre by the Govt. of India and was renamed as MNJ Institute of Oncology & Regional Cancer Centre. It is now a 250 bedded comprehensive tertiary cancer centre, serving not only the state of Andhra Pradesh and also to the neighboring states.

The MNJ Institute of Oncology & Regional Cancer Centre is the third cancer center to be started in this country. We take pride in the fact that we have grown from strength to strength over this period. We have the social responsibility of providing free treatment to approximately 10,000 new patients & 50,000 follow-up patients every year. Surgery, Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy is provided free of cost to all patients below poverty line. We are committed to provide the latest evidence based cancer treatment to the society.

We are an integral part of the National Cancer Control Program and are responsible for preventing cancer deaths in the society. Our cancer detection camps are in full swing in the districts and more than 6000 patients in Mahaboobnagar Dist have been screened in the last years, indicating that with proper planning, an extensive screening program is possible for the Indian population. We are also committed to preventing tobacco related cancers. We have developed a Tobacco Cessation Center and conducted Tobacco awareness camps, distributed material & organized free checkups and arrange for de-addiction through NGOs like Jagruthi and also conducting 3 cancer awareness camps every month. To create awareness in general public we are observing the National Cancer Awareness Day, World Cancer Day & World Palliative Care Day regularly. We have been regularly conducting free health camps every month in various Primary Health Centers, Rural Health centers and in District headquarters of various districts in A.P. under Rajiv Gandhi Aarogyasri Health Insurance Scheme.

Our latest state of the art 64 slice whole body CT scanner is installed and inaugurated by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of A.P. Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy garu on 19-03-2007. We also possess A 800 mA x-ray machine with image intensifier, state of the art color Doppler, 2 500 mA x-ray machines, High resolution Ultrasound machine and Mammography were also procured and installed. A 1.5 Tesla MRI machine will be procured soon in the Radiology Dept. A state of the art Dual Head Spect Gamma Camera is installed in the Dept. of Nuclear Medicine.

A Dual Energy Linear Accelerator, which is expected to be commissioned in this year, will help us to give more sophisticated cancer care to all the patients. This will help us take the load off the existing machines and provide IMRT Stereo tactic Radiotherapy & Stereo tactic Radio Surgery. Our Dicom compatible 3D TPS and Ximatron simulator help us provide giving state of art HDR Brachytherapy & teletherapy planning. Our regular tumor board meetings ensure that the patient gets the best possible treatment with the available resources.

Foundation stone for the construction of Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Linear Block and Golden Jubilee Block was laid down by Hon'ble Chief Minister of A.P. Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy garu on 19-03-2007 and construction of Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Linear Accelerator Block to house 4 Linear Accelerators is near completion. The construction work of Golden Jubilee Block in the South side of the hospital premises has started.

We have made great strides in the field of education also M.Ch Surgical Oncology super specialty course has been started in the year 2005. We now join a few elite institutions in this country which offer this kind of training in Surgical Oncology. A Two year vocational course "Diploma in Radiotherapy Technology" was started. Where to help to meet the acute shortage of Radiotherapy Technologists all over the State. It is also recognized as a center of excellence for imparting training to M.D. students in Radiation Oncology. We are offering Certificate courses for Doctors & Nurses in Pain & Palliative Medicine. A Digital Library with unlimited internet access was started.

The Medical Oncology unit was made fully operational last year with allotment of staff and beds. A 14 bedded Pediatric Medical Oncology ward was started for child with cancer. We have also established a modern blood bank. The Molecular Oncology Dept. was also started and it will help us in research activities.

The palliative medicine department now has well trained and qualified doctors. We are able to distribute Morphine absolutely free of cost to all patients irrespective of their financial status. This department receives technical support from MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas, USA. Many research projects are in the pipeline with their financial assistance. Initiative has been taken in Palliative care prompted INCTR (International Network on Cancer Treatment and Research), American Cancer Society and Pallium India to come forward to develop this institute as center of excellence in palliative care in India. The project director for this project, Dr. Gayatri Palat is working with this institute to train the doctors and nurses in Palliative medicine and palliative nursing. This is the first of its project in India. Proposals are also pending with the Govt. to sanction staff to the Dept. of Palliative Medicine to function as full fledged unit.

We have tied up with International Organizations like International Agency for Research on cancer (IARC) of the WHO for basic and clinical research. At national level, we have tied up with Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Center for DNA Finger Printing & Diagnosis, National Institute of Nutrition, Atomic Energy Regulation Board, Central University of Hyderabad, Osmania University, Institute of Genetics, etc.

Patients who come from remote villages are being provided rice, cooking oil, vegetables free of cost with the help of NGO's, philanthropists.

This institution however has not been able to grow as much as it should have due to the paucity of funds from Govt. of India.


The Departments in MNJ Institute of Oncology & Regional Cancer Centre are as follows :