The DCB Bank and Jagannath Cancer Aid Foundation (JACAF) launched a 3 -day cancer awareness drive in Odisha. The launch was marked with a seminar at Bhubaneswar on the importance of screening and early detection of cancer, counseling and treatment.
State Finance Minister Pradeep Kumar Amat inaugurated the seminar where Dr Kumar Prabhash of Tata Memorial Hospital and Dr Shishir Shetty of Hiranandani Fortis Hospital and DY Patil Hospital from Mumbai led the seminar. Padmashree Dr Prafulla Kar graced the event.
While the DCB Bank and JACAF are conducting free cancer detection camps in Khurda district since October 27 and the Cuttack camps will begin on October 28.
With new cancer cases expected to increase from around 14 lakh in 2016 to over 17 lakh by 2020, cancer awareness drives have become critical to tackling the disease and arresting its growth, especially in urban centres.
Indian Council of Medical Research has estimated that cancer-related deaths will rise from 7.36 lakh currently to over 8.8 lakh in the next four years.