Dr. V Shanta (1927 – 2021) was an oncologist and the chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai who has been awarded with the Padma Shri (1986), Magsaysay Award (2005), Padma Bhushan (2006), and Padma Vibhushan (2016).
Shanta was born in Chennai, into a distinguished family that included two Nobel Laureates: C. V. Raman (grand uncle) and S. Chandrasekar (uncle).
She was associated with Adyar Cancer Institute since 1955 where she worked the first three years as honorary staff. She remained at the campus until her death in 2021, holding several positions, including that of the director of the institute, between 1980 and 1997.
Through a career of over 60 years, Shanta was an advocate of early detection of cancer and the need to change public perception of the disease, especially the extreme fear and hopelessness associated with the disease. She was particularly critical of the metaphorical usage of the name of the disease to describe a dangerous and uncontrollable situation or one of hopelessness.