By Ishan Kukreti

In a major endeavor to create awareness about cancer and initiate a constructive dialogue within the society about the same, 'Pink Chain Cancer Conclave' was held at the Constitution Club of India on 25th June.

The conclave, which was an initiative by the NGO Punarjeevan, saw discussions on topics relevant to present day ground realities related to the disease and ways to deal with them.

Talking about the causes of cancer, Dr. G.K. Rath, chief of IRCH informed the gathering that while tobacco accounted for 40% of all cancer cases, it is preventable too. If one avoids tobacco in any form, chances of developing cancer drops by 40%.

Throwing light on the issue of tobacco addiction among young adults, Dr. Harit Chaturvedi, Chairman Max Oncology, said that people who start smoking at a young age are at a higher risk of getting addicted. One of the discussions focused on the inclusion of chapters on smoking and its relation to cancer in school books, to sensitize young adults about the ill effects of tobacco.

"The present budget allocations to the healthcare sector in India are abysmally low. Plus, a major chunk of the work in India is toeing the line of western concerns. For example, most of the efforts in cancer healthcare for women is directed towards Breast cancer, because it is a global phenomenon. However, Cervical cancer which to this day claims the highest number female lives remains largely overlooked," a highly dedicated and equally concerned President of Punarjeevan, Dr. Abhishek Shankar told NewsGram.