Public Service Advertising

created by Lintas emphasise the importance of Breast Self Examination in diagnosis of breast cancer at the earliest possible stage when it is curable.

The word cancer immediately invokes terror and thoughts of death in the minds of most people. At the same time, the incidence of cancer is on the rise. It is evident from one’s experience that it is becoming a more and more common disease with a case in every family. In fact, cancer is not something to be feared. A majority of cancers can be prevented by adopting healthy social practices and, if detected early, can be totally cured. In India, especially, there is a need for education and information on various aspects of cancer. Even educated patients have a problem accessing information which could help them to cope better with the disease.

Recognising this particular problem, Cancer Patients Aid Association has focused on ways and means to tackle it. Our appeals received overwhelming responses from the advertising, television & film fraternity as they joined hands on various occasions to create compelling & hard-hitting campaigns - print, billboards & short movies. Along with reaching out to a large number of people these, many of these campaigns won awards and accolades at international levels. 

A series of advertisements made by Contract Advertising also appeared in Indian Express and Loksatta regarding Passive Smoking. Too often, smokers endanger the lives of non-smokers by smoking in their presence. Recently, studies have shown that such second hand smoke can also raise the risk of contracting cancer significantly. The danger is especially grave for children of parents who smoke. They are more likely to suffer from pneumonia or bronchitis in the first two years of life than children who live in smoke-free households. Several studies have also established a link with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Children of parents who smoke have a twofold-increased risk of dying of SIDS.

created by  Touchstone Advertising

CPAA is indeed grateful to these agencies for acting out of a sense of moral responsibility. Their efforts will help people to imbibe the message of Prevention and Early Detection.

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Anti-Tobacco Lobby

Poems from Stella Dunstan, Cambridge, UK
How to quit smoking

Poems from Stella Dunstan, Cambridge, UK

These poems on cancer were sent to us by Stella Dunstan who lost her brother to lung cancer. They provide strong motivation for all smokers to give up their habit.

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/kweziku dSls NksM+sa :

1. /kwzeiku NksM+us ls igys] viuh flxjsVksa dks ,d dkxt+ ds VqdM+s esa bl rjg yisVsa tSls fØlel dk migkj yisVk tkrk gSA gj ckj tc vkidks flxjsV dh bPNk gks] iSd [kksysa vkSj bl ij fy[ksa fd vki D;k dj jgs gSa] vkidks D;k vuqHko gks jgk gS vkSj ;g flxjsV vkids fy, fdruh egRoiw.kZ gSaA nks lIrkgksa ds fy, ,slk djsa vkSj vki ns[ksaxs fd bldh la[;k de gks xbZ gS vkSj vkidks viuh vknrksa ls ubZ varn`f"V feysxhA
2. /kwzeiku djus okys dbZ yksx vuqHko djrs gSa fd mUgsa flxjsV ls ÅtkZ feyrh gSA ,sls yksxksa dks Hk;] lkekU; O;k;ke] rst+ pyrs gq, lSj djuh pkfg, ;k dksbZ u;k 'kkSd viukuk pkfg,A ysfdu ;g ckr /;ku j[ksa fd vf/kdka'k /kwzeiku djus okys yksxksa dk ot+u c<+ tkrk gS] blfy, vius Hkkstu dk /;ku j[ksa vkSj Hkkjh Hkkstu u [kk,¡A
3. ;fn /kzweeku NksM+us ds nkSjku vkidki ot+u c<+rk gS rks rqjar MkbfVax 'kq: u djsaA rc rd bart+kj djsa tc rd vki igys /kwzeiku djuk NksM+ u nsaA
4. ;fn flxjsV ihus ls vkidks vkjke feyrk gS] rks /;ku yxkusa] dksbZ u;k is; ihus ;k fdlh ubZ lkekftd xfrfof/k esa Hkkx ysus dks dksf'k'k djsaA
5. flxjsV NksM+us ds fy, lgh volj dh ryk'k djsa] tSls tc vki tqdke o ¶yw ds dkj.k chekj gksa vkSj flxjsV dk Lokn [kks pqds gksaA
6. ,d 3"x 5" vkdkj ds dkMZ ij] ,d lwph cuk,a fd vkidks /kwzeiku ds ckjs esa D;k vPNk yxrk gS vkSj D;k cqjk yxrk gSA izfrfnu blesa dqN u dqN tksM+rs jgsa vkSj bls i<+rs jgsaA
7. mu oLrqvksa dh ,d NksVh lwph cuk,¡ tks vki ges'kk ls [kjhnuk pkg jgs gSaA mlds lkeus bldh dher fy[ksaA izR;sd oLrq dh dher dks flxjsVksa ds iSdksa dh la[;k esa cnysaA ;fn vki izfrfnu iSls cpkrs gSa] rks vki bu oLrqvksa dks [kjhn ik,axsA bl iSls dks cpkus ds fy, ,d fo'ks"k xqYyd dk iz;ksx djsaA
8. tc vkidks flxjsV dh ryc mBus yxs rks rc rd flxjsV u fi,¡ tc rd 3 feuV u xqt+j tk,¡A ml le; ds nkSjku] viuh lksp ;k xfrfof/k dks cnysaA fdlh O;fDr ls VsyhQksu ij rc rd ckr djrs jgsa tc rd flxjsV dh bPNk de u gks tk,A
9. /kwzeiku can djus ds fy, dksbZ ;knxkj fnu pqusaA dksbZ Nqêh dh vof/k] uo o"kZ dk fnu] viuk tUefnu] dksbZ Hkh Nqêh] vius cPps dk tUefnu] viuh fookg o"kZxkaB pqusaA ysfdu bruh nwj dk fnu u pqusa fd rc rd vkidk fu.kZ; cny tk,A
10. ;fn vki dk;ZLFky ij ruko ds dkj.k flxjsV ihrs gSa rks ,d ,slk fnu pqusa tc vki dke ls nwj gksaA
11. fu.kZ; ysa fd vki ,dne ls can djuk pkgrs gSa ;k /khjs&/khjsA ;fn /khjs&/khjs NksM+us dk fu.kZ; ysrs gSa rks /khjs&/khjs NksM+us dh izfØ;k viuk,¡ rkfd vki ‘eSaus NksM+ nh ¼vkbZ fDoV½’ fnol ds vius Rofjr y{;ksa ij igqap ldsaA
12. dHkh Hkh flxjsV ,d lkFk [kjhn dj u j[ksaA dHkh Hkh dkVZu u [kjhnsaA nwljk iSd [kjhnus ls igys iqjkus iSd ds [kRe gksus dk bart+kj djsaA
13. ?kj ;k dk;kZy; esa vius lkFk flxjsV ysdj u pysaA ftruk gks lds mUgsa vius ls nwj j[ksaA mUgsa fdlh ds ikl j[ks ;k rkys esa can j[ksaA
14. flxjsV NksM+us rd] ,d /kwzeiku dksuk cuk,¡ tks fd Hkh fnypLi oLrq ls nwj gksA
15. Vsyhfot+u ns[krs le; dHkh Hkh /kwzeiku djsaA
16. ;fn vkius nwljksa ds lkFk /kwzeiku djuk vPNk yxrk gSA rks mu yksxksa dk lkFk <wa<sa tks /kwzeiku u djrs gksaA
17. vius lkFk dHkh Hkh ekfpl ;k ykbVj ysdj u pysaA
18. ,'kVsª dks nwj j[ksa ;k muesa Qwy ;k uV~l MkysaA v[kjksV ;k ewaxQyh j[kus ls vkids gkFkksa dks ,d dke fey tk,xkA
19. viuk flxjsv dk czkaM cnysa rkfd vki /khjs&/khjs de o de Vkj o fudksfVu ek=k dh flxjsVsa ihus yxsaA
20. vius vki ls iwNsa, "D;k okLro esa eq>s flxjsV dh t:jr gS ;k ;g dsoy ,d vknr gS?"
21. fdlh vU; O;fDr dks /kwzeiku NksM+us esa enn djsaA
22. gj fnu viuh igyh flxjsV tykus dk dk;Z Vkyrs jgsaA
23. ;g lksp ysa fd vki dsoy le ;k fo"ke la[;k okys ?kaVksa esa ;k ;fn vknr de gS rks le ;k fo"ke la[;k okyh rkjh[kksa ij gh flxjsV fi,axsA
24. vius gkFkksa dks O;Lr j[ksaA fdlh laxhr ;a=] cqukbZ ;k it+Yl esa O;Lr jgsaA
25. viuh vknrksa esa dkQh cnyko yk,¡A ubZ xfrfof/k;k¡ lh[ksa ;k iqjkuh xfrfof/k;ksa dks u, rjhds ls djsaA leL;kvksa dks gy djus ds vyx&vyx rjhds lkspsaA dkeksa dks vyx <ax ls djsaA
26. ;fn vkidks ?kj ij /kwzeiku dh vknr gS rks ckgj fudy tk,¡A
27. ,sls LFkkuksa ij jgsa tgk¡ /kwzeiku fu"ks/k gS tSls iqLrdky;] fFk,Vj] fMikVZesaVy LVksj ;k flxjsV NksM+us ls igys dqN fnuksa esa tYnh lksus dh dksf'k'k djsaA
28. dkWQh czsdksa ds nkSjku i<+us ds fy, gYdh ikB~; lkexzh] ØkWloMZ igsfy;k¡ ;k czks'kj vius ;kn j[ksaA
29. tgk¡ vki /kwzeiku u dj ldrs gksa ogk¡ gYdk Luku djsa ;k dksbZ vU; dke djsaA
30. rEckdw ds Lokn o /kCcksa ls NqVdkjk ikus ds fy, ckj&ckj vius nkarksa esa cz'k djsaA
31. /kwzeiku NksM+us ds ckn vius MsafVLV ¼nar fpfdRld½ ds ikl tk,¡ vkSj vius nkarksa ij yxs rEckdw ds /kCcksa dks lkQ djk,¡ vkSj rEckdw ds Lokn dks Hkwyus dh dksf'k'k djsaA
32. tc vkidks flxjsV dh ryc yxs 10 xgjh lkalssa ysa] vafre ckj lkal jksd dj ekfpl dh rhyh tyk,¡ vkSj lkal NksM+rs gq, bls cq>k nsaA rhyh dks ,'kVsª esa j[ksa] tSls vki flxjsV dks j[krs gSaA eku ysa fd ;g ,d flxjsV Fkh tks vkius ih yhA blds rqjar ckn dksbZ vU; xfrfof/k djsaA
33. dsoy vk/kh flxjsV fi,¡ vkSj 'ks"k dks Qsad nsaA
34. /kweziku NksM+us ds ckn] vius QsQM+ksa dk iz;ksx 'kq: djsaA viuh xfrfof/k;k¡ c<+k,¡ vkSj lkekU; O;k;ke 'kq: djsa tSls lSj vkfnA
35. fdlh ls 'krZ yxk,¡ fd vki NksM+ ldrs gSaA izfrfnu ,d ckj esa flxjsV ds iSls j[ksa vkSj ;fn vki lIrkg ds var rd flxjsV ugha ihrs gSa rks iSls blesa jgus nsaA /khjs&/khjs bl vof/k dks c<+k,¡] tc rd fd vki iwjh rjg u NksM+ nsaA
36. ,d o"kZ dh flxjsV lIykbz ds cjkcj ,d euhvkMZj [kjhnsa vkSj fdlh fe= ds ikl lqjf{kr j[kus ds fy, NksM+ nsaA ;fn vki vxys o"kZ esa /kwzeiku djrs gSa rks vkidk fe= euhvkMZj j[k ysxkA ;fn vki ugha ihrs gSa rks og vkidks lky ds var esa ;g okfil ns nsxkA
37. ;fn vki volkn esa gSa ;k /kwzeiku ds dkj.k vkiesa dqN 'kkjhfjd y{k.k lkeus vk jgs gSa rks MkWDVj ls ppkZ djsaA ;fn vki vius LokLF; Lrj ds izfr tkx:d gSa rks /kwzeiku NksM+uk vklku gSA

Anti Gutkha Campaign

Stickers : Would you like us to send you a set of 3 attractive Anti-gutkha stickers? Click here.

According to WHO Country profiles, India has one of the highest rates of oral cancer in the world and rates are still increasing. This disproportionate incidence of oral cancer has been related to the high proportion of tobacco chewers, a habit unique to Indians. Oral cancer accounts for one-third of the total cancer cases and 90% of the patients are tobacco chewers. This is true across a broad spectrum of people, rich and poor, male and female, old and young.

The statistics are eye opening. Only 20% of the total tobacco consumed in India is in the form of cigarettes, about 40% is in the form of bidis and the remaining 40% is consumed as chewing tobacco, pan masala, snuff, gutkha, masheri and tobacco toothpaste. These products contain putrefied tobacco, paraffin, areca nut, lime, catechu, and 230 permitted additives and flavours including known carcinogens.

WHO reports suggest that 65% of all Indian men use at least one form of tobacco. For women, the usage statistics differed from 15% in rural Gujarat to 67% in Andhra Pradesh, the overall prevalence being 3% for bidi and cigarette smoking. What is alarming is that fully one third of all women use at least one form of tobacco and in Mumbai, 57.5% of women use tobacco but solely in the smokeless form.

The habit has a high degree of social acceptability. A popular advertisement showed the parents of a bride and groom agreeing to greet guests with pan masala. People who would not dream of smoking, have no such qualms about consuming several packets of pan masala every day, simply because they are unaware of the dangers involved.

Most people have no idea that consuming smokeless tobacco is as dangerous as smoking and while packets of pan masala do bear health warnings, they are rendered almost invisible by the bright shiny packaging and the small size of the warnings. Consequently, unlike smoking, which must be hidden from adults, children can openly consume pan masalas.

Shockingly, younger and younger children are being introduced into this habit, with the first introduction often being given at home by an elder who is unaware of the dangers he is exposing the child to.

The fact is that smokeless tobacco has been directly related to the incidence of oral cancer. The first signs are the appearance of patches and sores in the mouth or tongue, followed by submucous fibrosis and difficulty in opening the mouth fully. At this stage the signs are reversible, but if left untreated will almost certainly develop into cancer. A recent news item on BBC reported usage of pan masalas by the large ethnic Indian community in England. The abuse of smokeless tobacco resulted in cases of submucous fibrosis among patients who spoke of their ignorance of the dangers they had exposed themselves to.

Confronted with the vast problem of tobacco usage and its social acceptability, it is tempting to say that the problem of addiction is too deep rooted to attempt to fight and to focus attention instead on preventing young people from taking up the habit. However, this has been found to be unsuccessful unless it follows strong anti-tobacco sentiment in the adult community and high proportions of the population giving up tobacco usage. CPAA has therefore adopted a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, in a massive drive covering at least 50 schools in different localities in Mumbai, we are educating children in Standards 8, 9 and 10 in the dangers of tobacco dependency. At the same time, a series of advertisements are being visualized to educate adults on the harms of smokeless tobacco and advising them not to introduce their children to the habit.

"We never tell kids not to smoke or chew tobacco," says CPAA’s Alka Kapadia. "Instead we educate them and offer our help in kicking the habit." The lecture begins with general information about the disease, the warning signs, symptoms, prevention through early detection. The schools being visited during the month of August, 1999 are St. Xavier’s High School, J.B. Wachcha, St. Anne’s High School, and Don Bosco.

"Our most depressing failures is with children from the lower income levels. It is difficult to convince them to give up tobacco. The habit helps them to deal with their daily lives, it kills the appetite and gives a kick that makes them happy for a while. It is cheaper to buy a packet of gutka than dinner. And it gives them the strength to face challenges of child labour including late night shifts. Sometimes it is their only source of happiness. In such cases, we advise them to pay attention to oral hygiene, to at least brush their teeth before sleeping so that the remnants of the tobacco do not attack the buccal linings overnight and to watch for patches which can be the first sign of cancer."

Are you a school and would you like CPAA to visit you as part of the Anti-Gutkha Campaign? Click here.

Would you like to contribute to CPAA’s Anti-Gutkha Campaign? Click here.

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Breast Self Examination Drive

Breast cancer, hitherto considered to be a "Western Cancer", is the second most common form of cancer among Indian women. This could well be because of the changing lifestyles of Indian women with delayed childbearing or having no children at all, failure to breast feed, obesity and a diet rich in animal fats becoming increasingly common. Whatever the reasons, like other cancers, breast cancer can also spread if unchecked. Fortunately, it is a cancer that can be easily detected at an early stage and treatment can lead to a total cure.

CPAA has initiated a Breast Self Examination (BSE) Drive to educate women on how to carry out this simple examination and why it is so important.

At all of CPAA’s OPDs, a part of the regular screening procedure includes education on how to carry out BSE correctly. A brochure describing the steps involved has also been written.  

Recently, a generous donation from KSB Pumps has made it possible for CPAA to initiate a ‘Well-Woman Clinic’ to screen 800 economically backward women for breast cancer. These women will be given a free checkup, including mammogram and Pap smear test and will be taught BSE.

If you would like to know more about Breast Self Examination, please attend one of the OPDs, held absolutely free of charge between 2 and 3.30 PM on Tuesdays at Lila Kishanchand Shahani Clinical Diagnostic Centre, Naigaon and on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Suman Ramesh Tulsiani Diagnostic & Rehabilitation Center at Prabhadevi.

If you would like to be sent a brochure about Breast Cancer, click here. 

To know more about breast cancer, click here

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Cervical Cancer Awareness

Cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer among Indian women. This has been related to the custom of early marriage common in rural India and absence of education on hygiene.

Cervical cancer, a slow growing cancer, lends itself to early detection through Pap smear testing, a painless test which involves scraping cells from the cervix during a pelvic examination. A microscopic examination of the smear can identify abnormal cells even in a precancerous stage (dysplasia). Not all cervical dysplasia will become malignant if left untreated, but a more concentrated follow up is indicated.

CPAA conducts Pap smear tests free of charge for all women who attend the OPD at the Cancer Detection Centres at Prabhadevi and Naigaon. Efforts are on to disseminate information on cervical cancer through a tie up with a manufacturer of sanitary napkins.

To find out more about the free Pap smear test, please attend one of the OPDs, held absolutely free of charge between 2 and 3.30 PM on Tuesdays at Lila Kishanchand Shahani Clinical Diagnostic Centre, Naigaon and on Wednesdays and Thursdays at Suman Ramesh Tulsiani Diagnostic & Rehabilitation Center, Prabhadevi.

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