From Left to Right: Prof Dr Anita Ramesh, Professor Medical Oncology, Saveetha Medical College Hospital & Founder and CEO - Freedom from Cancer Relief and Research Foundation ; Ms Anjana Bindlish, Senior Programme Manager, TRANSTAN ; Dr T S Selvavinayagam, Additional Director of Health Services
Chennai, August 13, 2016: As the nation celebrates its 70th Independence Day, Prof.Dr Anita Ramesh, Founder and CEO - Freedom from Cancer Relief and Research Foundation teamed up with cancer survivors in the city to celebrate Life after Cancer. The event, “Fighting against Cancer”, saw over 100 Cancer survivors including children participate in the cultural activities conducted to celebrate the success in combating Cancer.
During the celebration, cancer survivors including children participated in various cultural competitions which including a Fashion parade, Kolam Contest, Painting, Dance & Singing competitions. A Special cultural performance was delivered by International Cancer Survivors.
Speaking on the occasion Prof. Dr Anita Ramesh, Professor Medical Oncology, Saveetha Medical College Hospital & Founder and CEO - Freedom from Cancer Relief and Research Foundation said, “While the nation celebrates Independence Day in many ways, cancer survivors, who gained physical and psychological freedom after recovering from cancer came together here to share their tales. These celebrations provide an opportunity for survivors to converse, draw support and get advice from others who share similar experience and rejoice. It is an occasion for cancer survivors to come together and celebrate the new reality in cancer survivorship.”
According to the data of the National Cancer Registry Program, 12.5 percent of Indian men and 11.11 percent of Indian women are prone to cancer. One out of eight men has the possibility of developing cancer in his lifetime and one out of nine women has the possibility to develop cancer in her lifetime. As per the figures of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), by 2020 India is likely to have more than 1.73 million new cases of cancer and more than 0.88 million deaths due to cancer.
“Early detection is the key. Women above the age of 40 should be screened for breast cancer and cervical cancer and men should be screened for colon and prostate cancer after they reach the age of 50. Apart from medical treatment, psycho-social support is crucial. The new drugs like Nivolumab, Prembrolizumab have shown to improve quality of life and extend survival chances. According to a new research, a type of immunotherapy that has shown promising results against cancer could also be used against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS” added Prof. Dr. Anita Ramesh.
The objective of the event was to spread the word that Cancer is curable and one can lead a normal life after surviving cancer. Some of the cancer survivors shared their stories of success on their fight against cancer, elaborated on how positive attitude, will power and strong support system played a crucial role in their recovery. The whole occasion was filled with joy & laughter. A Hope for the future and strength reflected across on the day.
Dr TS Selvavinayagam, Additional Director of Health Services, Directorate of Public Health and preventive Medicine, Dr Jerard Selvam, State Nodal Officer NCD Programme and Ms Anjana Bindlish, Senior Programme Manager, TRANSTAN were also present on the occasion.
