Chandigarh : The Department of Radiotherapy, Regional Cancer Centre, PGIMER, Chandigarh initiated the celebration of National Cancer Awareness Day by organising a camp at Daddumajra Colony. In collaboration with the National Institute of Nursing Education and the staff of Civil Dispensary, this ‘Cancer Awareness Camp’ was organised to inform the residents of the colony about the importance of prevention and early detection of cancer.
The students of community nursing and their teachers put up an exhibition of charts and staged a skit to emphasise the need of screening for cancer and noticing the early signs. This was followed by video films prepared by the National Cancer Control Program in Hindi. About a hundred persons who gathered at the camp were explained about the early signs and the causative factors of cancer by addressing them in small groups followed by some discussion. At least fifty women were examined and taught how to perform Breast self-examination.
Some of these women also requested for a Pap Smear to rule out any cancer of the uterine cervix and this was done with the help of the Department of Cytology and Gynaecological Pathology of PGIMER. The other members of community present underwent a general check up while being told about the early warning signs. The Principal of NINE and Prof. S.C. Sharma,Head, Department of Radiotherapy graced the occasion. The next event will be on 7th of November 2012 at PGIMER where a series of public lectures and exhibition will be organised