Telemedicine and tele-health services for cancer-care delivery in India

Noncommunicable diseases including cancer are emerging as major public health problems in India. Awareness of cancer and its management are being taken as a high priority at the national level because of the increase in the incidence of the disease in the country. Telemedicine provides expert-based health care to understaffed remote sites and advanced emergency care through modern telecommunication and information technologies. The incidence of cancer can be reduced if the people are aware of cancer and its root causes. Recently, the introduction of telemedicine in oncology plays a vital role. Telemedicine helps in prevention, early detection, a faster cure, palliative care and rehabilitation in the management of cancer. The status of telemedicine services for cancer care in Kerala, India, and how telemedicine can be an effective solution of cancer- care delivery in India are explored.