Viswanathan Shanta (11 March 1927 – 19 January 2021)[1] was an Indian oncologist and the chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai.

[14] The institute began as a small, 12-bed cottage hospital with a single building,[9] minimal equipment and just two doctors, Shanta and Krishnamurthi.

For three years she worked as honorary staff until the Institute offered to pay her Rs.200 per month and residence within the campus.

[12][15] During her long career of over 60 years, Shanta held several positions at the Cancer Institute and served as its director between 1980 and 1997.

In addition to caregiving for patients and study of the disease, she focused on creating a pool of specialists and scientists at the institute.

It reads in part:"In an era when specialised medical care in India has become highly commercialised, Dr. Shanta strives to ensure that the Institute remains true to its ethos, `Service to all.'

She had complained of chest pain the previous night and was rushed to a private hospital though she had initially insisted on being medically managed within her Institute's campus and did not want invasive ventilation.