Though there is no nationwide population-based cancer registry in Nepal, it is predicted that the cancer incidence rate for Nepal will be to 38.5 per 100,000 and for females, 41.4 by 2020. However, with its poor healthcare infrastructure, lack of trained providers in oncology, poor health literacy among the public, and the inequitable distribution of healthcare resources, the country is woefully unprepared to handle the burdenof cancer. The majority of cancer patients in Nepal currently either go undiagnosed or are diagnosed at a terminal stage as most people who live outside province 3 face many barriers to care such as distance, language, culture, and other socio-economic issues. 

Located centrally in the capital of Province 2, the Binaytara Foundation Cancer Center (BTFCC) provides low-cost cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care services to patients in this densely populated region with its unique culture and a grave need for cancer services. As of May 2019, the hospital employs 25 healthcare providers including oncologists, surgeons, medical officers, nursing, and laboratory staff. In addition, the team is supported in its management of cancer patients by board certified experts from the US, India, and other parts of the world through weekly virtual tumor boards and video-consultations. 

In the last six months since the hospital was established, our providers have already seen a significant number of cancer patients - most of them young adults with small children and advanced stage cancers. Improved access to cancer screening & treatment will have significant impact in these young people’s lives and their children’s future. In addition, implementing effective cancer education, cancer prevention and tobacco control programs will help save thousands of lives from preventable cancers such as cervical cancer and lung cancers. 

Though the establishment of BTFCC in Janakpur is a major milestone for the region, there is an urgent need to expand the capacity of BTFCC and add various oncology service lines as it is estimated that nearly 20,000 patients in this region require cancer services annually. This proposal outlines our vision to meet this need by developing the current cancer hospital into a 200-bed comprehensive cancer center that will be the center of excellence for cancer care in Nepal and entire South Asia.