Mangaluru : Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim launched ‘Cancer Awareness Programme on Wheels’, a mobile unit of Mangalore Institute of Oncology on Monday, September 21 at DC’s office premises.

Flagging off the campaign, Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said, cancer is not only the deadliest disease, but is also associated with misconceptions and taboos and stressed the need for awareness about the ill affects of tobacco consumption and smoking among the general public.

Director of Mangalore Institute of Oncology Dr Jalaluddin Akbar said, cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of death and projections are that in the next decade, the number of people afflicted by this diseases will increase in the developing countries like India.

“When compared to the past, there has been a great increase in the number of cancer patients in both India and Mangaluru. The principle reason for cancer has been tobacco habits, faulty lifestyle and myths about the disease,” he added.

Dr Akbar said, the campaign aims at creating awareness about the need for early detection of cancer and the need for standardised health care.

The early detection will help in reducing the suffering of the patient. The government with its health insurance scheme like Vajpayee Arogya Sri, has been assisting patients with BPL(Below Poverty Line) card suffering from cancer to avail free treatment in the empanelled hospitals. School visits The vehicle will visit schools, college, bus stand, railway station, temples, shandy markets to create awareness. Films on various types of cancer, affects of tobacco consumption will be screened.

The vehicle will have a para medical staff, who will answer to the queries of the public. The movie related to ill affects of tobacco consumption will be screened near schools and colleges. The documentary to be screened for general public are related to breast, lung, oral, throat and cervical cancer. About 40 per cent of the cancer are related to tobacco consumption. It is the youth who are in the age group of 25 to 30 fall prey to oral cancer owing to bad life style, he added.