1954 - First comprehensive cancer center in South India and the second one in the country
1956 - Introduces the super-voltage era in the whole of Asia, including Japan and Australia, with the installation of the 60 co teletherapy unit (Gift of AECL, Canada)
1956 - First center in India to establish a department of Nuclear Medical Oncology, 6 years the DAE established its Isotope Division.
1957 - The first ever medical physicis department was established at the Institute
1958 - Combined modality approach for the treatment of advanced oral cancers was introduced for the first time by the Institute, raising the cure rate from a dismal 19% to 58%.
1960 - First pediatric Oncology Centre in the country was established. &
The Institute introduced the technique of Lymphangiography in the diagnosis of lymphoid tumors.
1961-1962 - The first rural field survey of cancer in India was carried out in chengleput district of Tamil Nadu.
1962 - The first indigenously built cesium Tele-curie-therapy unit in India was designed and installed at the Institute, with the support of late Dr.Homi Bhabha
1965 - Recognized by the Universities of Madras and Kerala for Ph.D D.Sc in Oncological Sciences. & The Institute introduced the technique of Mammography in the diagnosis of occult breast tumors for the first time in India.
1968 - Designed and installed the first indigenous Radiotherapy Simulator.
1971 - The first Medical Oncology unit in the country started functioning at the Institute.
& The Institute introduces the country's first Blood Component Unit which was needed as an essential support for Medical Oncology patients.
1974 - Declared as the "Regional Centre For Cancer Research And Treatment" by Dr.Karan Singh, Union Health Minister. It was the first centre in the country to be declared so.
1975-76 - The first Linear Accelerator in India, A gift from DANIDA.
1978 - The Institute was declared as a "Centre of Excellence" by the Director General of Health Services,Government of India.& The Institute introduced, for the first time in the country, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the treatment of cancer. & Blood Component therapy, using the blood cell separator, in the supportive treatment of high dose Chemotherapy, was introduced in to India for first time.
1981 - Recognized by the Anna University and Department of Atomic Energy for the M.Sc(Medical Physics) course, the first of its kind in India
1981-82 The Madras Metropolitan Tumor Registry (MMTR) was established by Indian Council of Medical Research at the Institute.
1982 - The first college of Oncological Sciences in India, offering supers speciality degrees, M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), DM(Medical Oncology) and MD(Radiotherapy) degrees recognized by the Medical Council of India, wasestablished.
1985 - Hyperthermia in Oncology was introduces for first time in India.
& The first ND-YAG Surgical LASER in the country was installed at the Institute and we were the first to perform Endoscopic LASER Surgery.
1987 - Limb conservation surgery for malignant tumors of the bone using custom-made prosthesis was introduced for the first time in the country by the Institute.
1995 - The first Intra-operative Radiotherapy (IORT) facility. & The first indigenously designed and built brachytherapy unit (CITRON) was installed, which was approved by AERB for clinical use and functioned at the Institute for 12 years.
2002 - The first Comprehensive Hereditary Cancer Detection and Prevention program in the country was started and is the only one of its kind in India. & To***co Cessation Clinic (WHO) was started.
2004 - Development and Phase 1 evaluation of a Dendritic Cell Vaccine for the treatment of cervical cancer.
2006 - Establishment fo National Tumor Bank. & Establishment of Telemedicine facility with six nodal centers to help in patient follow up, tele-consultation, education of medical and paramedical staff in the nodal centrers.
2007 - Establishment of Centre of Excellence for Molecular Oncology.2008Inatallation of first Rapid Arc Therapy facility in the country. & Radiotherapy simulator with cone beam facility, the first of its kind in the country.
2012 - Tamil Nadu Cancer Registry Project - Joint project of Cancer Institute (WIA) and the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu.
2013 - The inaugurationof the Diamond Jubillee event of the Cancer Institute (WIA) was done by Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Dr J.Jayalalithaa including the inauguration of State Cancer Registry, MRI Scann and True Beam Radiotherapy facility.
