The Union Budget emphasizing cancer care has great significance for the Northeast region. The cancer incidence in the northeast region is the highest in the country; the states extracting maximum benefit out of the budget initiatives will improve cancer care in the region. The central government has proposed setting up a daycare cancer centre in every district over the next three years, and 200 centres will be set up in the current financial year. An alarming rise in cancer incidence in the region makes a strong case for prioritising allotment of these daycare centres to Northeastern states in this financial year. It will require the states in the region to present this claim before the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and take the required steps on their part to facilitate the setting up of these centres. The Union Budget has also announced to fully exempt 36 life-saving drugs and medicines needed for treatment of cancer and some rare diseases from basic customs duty to lower their retail price. Reduction of out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) in cancer care will provide some financial relief to households availing of cancer care for members undergoing cancer treatment. Easy availability of these medicines, more particularly for cancer patients belonging to downtrodden and underprivileged households living in remote areas of the region, will be crucial to achieving the desired objectives. High OOPE has pushed many households in the region into debt as they resorted to borrowing to meet the treatment cost. Cancer-related treatment is available under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY), which provides health coverage of Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. The central government’s recommendation to other states to adopt Assam’s cancer care model is indicative of the significant progress made by the state in cancer care. The model envisages developing patient-centric cancer care institutions to deliver standardised and affordable cancer care closer to the patient’s home. This distributed cancer care model has two-pronged benefits: reducing the load of apex cancer care hospitals in the state and reducing OOPE expenses of patients by reducing journey distance. The establishment of daycare centres in every district will strengthen this model by facilitating more diagnostic services and cancer care delivery closer to patients’ homes. Assam is striving to become the cancer care hub of East India through an investment of Rs 3600 crore for setting up 17 world-class cancer hospitals, which has brightened hopes for affordable and improved cancer care delivery soon. Early detection and regular health screening play a crucial role in cancer prevention. Early detection increases the survival rate through immediate intervention and treatment. National Cancer Registry Programme data projects that one in nine people in India are likely to develop cancer in their lifetime, due to which strengthening cancer screening is essential to prevent the burden from rising. Proposed daycare centres in districts focusing on creating an efficient infrastructure for cancer screening will go a long way in improving early detection in the region. These centres Apart from screening and early detection, addressing cancer risk factors such as high tobacco use, diabetes, obesity, high blood sugar level, and hypertension is critical to bringing down incidence in the region, for which regular health screening is essential. States in the region promoting the Eat Right Campaign of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India can build awareness among the people to lead a healthy lifestyle for reducing cancer risk factors. Sadly, the anti-tobacco campaigns have not got adequate attention from society, which is evident from the prevalence of tobacco use even among school-going children. Apart from poor awareness about tobacco-related cancer incidence in the region, poor enforcement of tobacco control measures due to the violation of the prohibition of the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products within the stipulated radius of 100 yards of the educational campus and failure to prevent smoking in public places also point towards a gap in cancer prevention in the region. Observing ritualistic awareness campaigns without result-orientated action on the ground is only a waste of taxpayers’ money. Collaborative efforts by government departments, agencies, and various sections of society are a must to make a difference but are seriously lacking in the region. Educational institutions, panchayats and other local bodies, student and youth bodies, socio-cultural organisations, and NGOs actively taking part in cancer awareness and cancer prevention initiatives is an urgent priority in each state. Ironically, the alarming rate of growth in cancer incidence in the region has outpaced the awareness drive, which is a cause for grave concern and needs to be addressed while formulating cancer prevention strategies and action. The rising cancer burden adversely affects economic growth by draining resources from individual households and putting more pressure on the public exchequer. Improved and augmented infrastructure for cancer care will also fall short in the region if awareness is not built for its prevention.