A human chain, comprising 5,833 people, including cancer survivors, patients, doctors and teachers, was organised on Sunday to spread awareness on breast cancer. The participants stood around Ulsoor lake, holding pink lights.
According to experts, early detection is the key to successfully treating any kind of cancer, including breast cancer that affects at least one in 22 Indian women.
Dinesh Madhavan, director, HCG, said: “The aim of this event is to educate the public and create awareness on breast cancer. With increased public awareness on cancer, we are slowly seeing the benefits, with early diagnosis of cancer. This is a step in the right direction.”
BS Ajaikumar, chairman HCG, said: “Bangalore has the highest incidence of breast cancer in India. Awareness is the key as it helps in the early diagnosis of cancer. The trend where at least 60% of cancer is diagnosed early clearly shows the increase in survival pattern of cancer survivors," he said.
"When cancer is detected and diagnosed early, it is easy to treat and manage the disease. A decade ago, 70% of cancer was detected in the advanced stages,” he added.
This event is recognised by Limca Book of Records and will be featured in its 2014 edition.
