Introduction

The Laboratory Oncology Unit is the laboratory division of the IRCH. It was started in  October 1991, on the order of the Director, AIIMS, in order to give the IRCH its own laboratory so as to meet its highly specialized  laboratory needs in the best possible manner.  This was formalized by including a laboratory devoted exclusively to cancer, in the IRCH Development Plan of 1992-93. The laboratory division is known by its provisional name of Laboratory Oncology. Its focus so far, mainly, but not exclusively, has been hemato-oncopathology.

The laboratory receives over 3000 bone marrows, 4500 peripheral blood smears and 2000 serum and urine samples for electrophoresis per year. Due to its fast and expert handling of difficult and challenging cases and because of some expertise being uniquely available here, Laboratory Oncology serves as   referral laboratory not only for IRCH, but  for other departments and Centers of the AIIMS main hospital.