CHENNAI: Chennai is set to get a dedicated public women's cancer screening centre at Thousand Lights by February.

The facility, being established at a cost of Rs 1.23 crore, will offer free screening services for breast, cervical and ovarian cancers - affecting women in Tamil Nadu the most.

The three-storeyed centre will be operated by the Greater Chennai Corporation's Health Department and will function from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all days except Sundays.

It will be equipped with a mammogram unit for breast cancer screening, a laboratory for Pap smear tests to detect cervical cancer, and an ultrasound facility for screening abdominal and ovarian cancers.

A dedicated consultation room will also be part of the facility. While government hospitals already provide several diagnostic services free of cost, advanced cancer screening tests such as mammograms and specialised scans often require patients to seek private care.

The new facility aims to bridge this gap and ensure early diagnosis, especially for women from economically weaker backgrounds.

Announcing the initiative, Thousand Lights MLA Dr Ezhilan Naganathan said the centre was conceived in response to the growing burden of cancer in Tamil Nadu.

"I wanted to establish a free, accessible cancer screening facility in the city, particularly for women. Early detection can significantly improve survival rates. We also plan to create a detailed data registry of all women who undergo screening, which will help in research and long-term cancer prevention strategies," he said.

Dr J. Amalorpavanathan, member of the State Planning Commission, said the facility was being set up at a crucial time, as Tamil Nadu accounts for 6.4 per cent of India's total cancer cases despite having only 5.6 per cent of the country's population.

He noted that while cervical cancer continues to be one of the most common cancers among women in rural areas, urban regions are witnessing a steady rise in breast cancer cases. This trend, he explained, is often linked to lifestyle changes, delayed marriages and late childbirth.