Kochi’s VPS Lakeshore Hospital has launched the Centre for Complex Head & Neck Cancer (CCHNC) — India’s first dedicated facility for treating complex, recurrent, and rare head and neck cancers. The move is being seen as a step towards bringing world-class, multidisciplinary cancer care closer to home for patients in Kerala and beyond.
The centre functions as a quaternary referral facility, designed to manage some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers. It brings together experts from multiple specialities — surgical oncology, radiation therapy, pathology, genomics, and rehabilitation — under one roof.
Head and neck cancers are among the most common in India, but their recurrence rate remains high — around 50%, according to senior consultant and head of the department of head and neck oncology, Moni Abraham Kuriakose. He said there had long been a gap in facilities that could handle such advanced or recurrent cases with the depth they require. The new centre, he explained, has been structured to bridge that gap.
The CCHNC focuses on advanced technology, precision-based diagnosis, and holistic rehabilitation, aiming to combine surgery, therapy, and patient care in a single, coordinated approach.
Consultant Aswin Mullath, who leads surgical oncology at the centre, explained that the unit uses digital planning tools and patient-specific implants to rebuild affected areas and restore both form and function. Among the innovative methods introduced is the ‘Jaw-in-a-Day’ technique — allowing patients to undergo tumour removal, jaw reconstruction, and dental rehabilitation within 24 hours.
The centre’s approach blends robotic surgeries, genomic-based targeted therapies, and speech and swallowing therapy, along with physiotherapy and psycho-oncology support, to help patients return to everyday life faster.
The CCHNC also works with international research bodies through collaborative clinical trials and global drug access programmes. These partnerships are expected to help patients access the latest therapies even when standard treatment options are limited in India.
VPS Lakeshore’s managing director S K Abdulla said the hospital’s focus remains on developing advanced medical infrastructure in Kerala, blending global collaborations with compassionate local care.