Every year, November 7 is observed as National Cancer Awareness Day in India. On this occasion, the Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute (GCRI), located within the Civil Hospital campus in Ahmedabad’s Asarwa, marks the third anniversary of its free cancer screening initiative. Launched in October 2021, the programme has screened a total of 36,439 individuals, revealing 55 confirmed cancer cases and detecting pre-cancerous symptoms in over 2,500 tobacco users.
Among those screened were over a thousand family members accompanying cancer patients; of these, more than 50 individuals were diagnosed with 36 cases ranging from stage I to stage IV. Alarmingly, 22 individuals discovered their cancer at the advanced stage IV, while over 2,500 people who used tobacco exhibited pre-cancerous symptoms like leukoplakia and erythroplakia.
In three years, 1,227 women underwent mammography for breast cancer detection and 1,761 women received HPV DNA testing. The screenings led to the identification of 21 cases of breast cancer, 33 oral cancer cases, one cervical cancer case, and one uterine cancer case.
Dr. Shashank Pandya, Director of GCRI, noted the rising cancer rates in India and worldwide. According to GLOBOCAN data, global cancer cases could increase from 19.3 million in 2020 to over 30 million by 2040, with cancer-related deaths potentially rising from 10 million to 16.3 million. To build awareness, GCRI will host a special event titled “Salute to Cancer Winners” tomorrow, honouring 100 long-term cancer survivors who have thrived for more than a decade.
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