Nellai: AstraZeneca India extends programme on cancer-screening

CHENNAI: AstraZeneca India, the services division of biopharmaceutical major AstraZeneca, on Wednesday said it has expanded the Ganga Godavari Cancer -Screening Programme to Tamil Nadu, under its corporate social responsibility.

Unveiling the programme, in association with charitable trust Udhavum Ullangal, a cancer-screening camp was organised in Tirunelveli. Senior government officials, including District Collector Vishnu, were present.

The project aims at early detection of oral, breast and cervical cancer, especially in women below povertyline, a press release said ''The Ganga Godavari Cancer-Screening Programme is a mission to bring down the burden of cancer by building large-scale awareness and encouraging detection in early stages. If you analyse the cancer burden in the country, the incidence of cancer among women is more than men,'' said AstraZeneca India's country president Gagandeep Singh.

''With this initiative, we are working to not just detect but also encourage due medical intervention among patients and counselling among people at risk,'' he said.

AstraZeneca has drawn up plans to hold nearly 300 camps to conduct cancer-screening to benefit 9,000 people and create cancer awareness to about 30,000 people in Tirunelveli and its neighbouring districts, the release said.