P. Vijay Anand Reddy

Palkonda Vijay Anand Reddy has treated people with cancer for more than three decades, and campaigned to stop them getting it in the first place. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of medicine, from Telangana ^[1].

Oncologist

Reddy was born on 20 October 1959 and grew up in a rural family ^[2]. He trained further at cancer centres abroad, including in London, New York, Melbourne and Philadelphia ^[2]. Since 1992 he has treated more than 15,000 cancer patients, specialising in head and neck cancers and cancers of the eye ^[2]. He is director and senior consultant oncologist at Apollo Cancer Centres, Hyderabad ^[2].

As chairman of the Indian College of Radiation Therapy he has worked on training, and he has given more than 900 lectures to doctors and written more than 112 papers ^[2].

CURE Foundation

In 2003 he set up the CURE Foundation to help poor patients get good cancer treatment ^[2]. It runs awareness drives, screening camps and anti-tobacco campaigns ^[2]. His campaign against tobacco, his citation says, led to major policy action in Andhra Pradesh ^[2]. He is also linked to Sparsh Hospice, which gives palliative care to people at the end of life ^[2].

His book I Am a Survivor, in English, Hindi and Telugu, tells the stories of 108 people who survived cancer ^[2].