Scope, functioning, current problems and future of Peripheral Cancer Centers (PCCs) in India

•PCCs in India are established to improve access to cancer therapy, prevention and education•PCCs may become dysfunction/non-function in the absence of continuous political and bureaucratic vigilance•Non-functional PCCs can be revived by legislative measures combined with regional and local political will, bureaucratic co-operation and professional and non-professional staffs' efforts.•Revived PCCs are still prone to become non-functional in the absence of continued support of local staff.

Public sector PCCs in India are sanctioned for and established in different geographical regions of its administrative states. PCCs are usually located away from the state’s capital with the aim of increasing access of patients to common cancer therapy and to improve the cancer out-reach activities. Away from state capital in remote locations, these PCCs may escape political and administrative surveillance and may subsequently become non-functional. However, non-functional PCCs can be made functional by collective national parliamentary, state political leadership’s and bureaucratic efforts. Continuous effective functioning and non-repetitiveness of past .i.e. dysfunction or cessation of function of PCCs are strongly dependent on the bureaucratic and professional commitment of the local staff.