Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) was set up by a voluntary organization called 'Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Society Trust'. Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah (4th September 1893 - 25th September 1956) was a great physician, freedom fighter and philanthropist of Assam. In 1958 at a public meeting in Guwahati, a decision was taken to set up a cancer hospital at Guwahati to commemorate the memory of Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah. Late Debendra Nath Sarma was the Founder President and Late Dr. Kanak Chandra Borooah, illustrious brother of Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah was the Founder Secretary. Late Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Mahendra Mohan Choudhury, Bishnuram Medhi, Dr. Ghanashyam Das, Dr Birendra Nath Choudhury and many others worked relentlessly for the development of the Institute since its inception.
The Institute was formally inaugurated on 18th November 1973 and became operational from 1974. The Institute was recognized as Regional Cancer Centre by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India in the year 1980. On 6th of August, 1986 the Institute was handed over to the Government of Assam by the B Borooah Cancer Society Trust retaining its autonomy.
The First Tripartite Agreement for revitalization of the Institute involving the North Eastern Council, Government of Assam and the Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India became operational from November 1989. This tripartite arrangement for funding and management of the Institute continued till 2017. On the request of the then Chief Minister of Assam Shri Tarun Gogoi and the present Chief Minister of Assam Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the Cabinet Committee on Security under the Chairmanship of the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi on 7th of June 2017 approved taking over of Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati by Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India as Grant-in-Aid Institute and as a unit of Tata Memorial Centre (Mumbai). The Institute was formally taken over by Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India on 27th November 2017 as a unit of Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai. The Institute is located at Gopinath Nagar, Guwahati, Assam in a plot of land covering an area of 14.2 acres (43 bighas). About 12,000 new and 80,000 old cancer patients visit the Institute every year. It is a 230-bedded Hospital at present. There are 100 bedded (general) and one 27 bedded executive guest houses for patients & relatives inside the hospital premises. The Institute also has residential campus for the employees. The Institute has started private OPD from 1st January 2017. A DBT Centre for Molecular Biology and Cancer Research was started in February 2010. The Institute has Population and Hospital Based Cancer Registry under National Cancer Registry Programme of Indian Council of Medical Research. It is involved in many research projects at present.
