BANGALORE: The Bangalore-based HealthCare Global Enterprises (HCG) has received a Rs. 50 crore funding from IDFC Private Equity for expansion of the Bangalore Institute of Oncology (BIO) and to set up 13 new cancer centres across the country. The investment on the expansion plans works out to nearly Rs. 150 crore. Disclosing this at a press conference here on Wednesday, the Chairman of HCG, Ajai Kumar, said another cancer centre would come up in New Delhi and both would be centres of excellence.

The first phase of the investment would include the 13 new cancer treatment centres at various locations, expansion of BIO, PET (positron emission tomography)-CT centre and radio pharmaceutical unit, central reference laboratory and clinical trials management centre.

Gans Ganapati, Executive Director, said, "the investment by IDFC Private Equity will help establish the infrastructure — technology, systems and processes — essential for growth."

Dr. Kumar said HCG would take up clinical trials outsourcing for various drug companies. At present, over 500 drugs were being developed for cancer treatment and around five of them would be from India.

The cost of oncology treatment in India was five to 20 times less compared to the developed world, depending on the nature of treatment, he added.

Cancer incidence in India, now estimated at one million cases a year, had doubled over the last three decades.

An estimated three million patients were undergoing treatment for cancer in the country.

Demographic and socio-economic factors, increasing life expectancy, growing tobacco consumption, pollution and changing diet have been associated with the increasing incidence of cancer, the Chairman said.

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