Dr V. Shanta (11 March 1927 – 19 January 2021)

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is saddened by the sudden passing of Dr V. Shanta, who died on Tuesday. She was 93. Dr Shanta was the chairperson of the Cancer Institute (WIA) in Chennai, India. The Cancer Institute (WIA) is a not-for-profit organization that has been a pioneer in cancer diagnosis, treatment, education, research, and prevention since 1954. It has celebrated its diamond jubilee of existence and continues to go from strength to strength. Dr Shanta was an integral part of the institute from its beginning, making it her home in a professional life that was dedicated to the fight against cancer.

Dr Shanta was a clinician in oncological sciences who brought recognition to the field of medical oncology and started the first paediatric oncology department in India. She firmly believed that population-based cancer registration is essential for rational cancer control. In 1981, she established the Madras Metropolitan Tumour Registry, which contributes reliable data on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in Chennai city, conforming to international standards, as part of the National Cancer Registry Programme of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Government of India. She was the mentor of the massive population-based surveillance study, the Tamil Nadu Cancer Registry Project, which covers the state’s population of 80 million people, the largest population covered by any cancer registry in the world.

Dr Shanta’s association with IARC started in 1968 when she participated in the first training course on cancer epidemiology. She served on the IARC Scientific Council in 2007, providing direction to cancer research, with a focus on India and other low- and middle-income countries. She also served on the World Health Organization (WHO) Advisory Committee on Cancer, from 1986 until 2005.

Dr Shanta’s favourite mantra was “Fear not cancer diagnosis, but its delay.” She was committed to propagating the message that early cancers are curable, from the early 1960s onwards. On this front, she brought in huge grants investing in cervical cancer screening and early detection programmes, both opportunistic and in organized settings, encompassing training for district-level primary health care physicians, training health workers in taking adequate Pap smears, visual inspection of the cervix to identify abnormalities as an alternative to cytology, and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing.

Dr Shanta was the recipient of numerous illustrious awards and honours, which adorned her career: the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service; the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in India; and the Avvaiyar award of the Tamil Nadu state government, to name a few. She was also an Honorary Member of the International Association of Cancer Registries.

Dr Shanta was a remarkable person and an incredible individual. She made her life such a meaningful one by inspiring generations of health-care providers. She will be greatly missed both professionally and personally by all who knew her. Our deepest sympathy is with Dr Shanta’s family, colleagues, and friends.