'Tobacco free India to cut down cancer by over 50 pc'

Varanasi, Sep 22 (UNI) A tobacco free India held the promise of cutting down by over 50 per cent, the nearly one lakh fresh cancer cases being reported annually, a cancer specialist claimed here today.

Talking to UNI here on the sidelines of four-day meeting of World Federation of Surgical Oncology Societies, Colonel Manomoy Ganguly from Command Hospital (Western Command) Chandigarh said that over 50 per cent of one lakh cancer cases annually reported in the country were caused by prolonged consumption of tobacco and related products.

''Over 50 per cent cases of cancer pertained to cancer in head, neck, throat and oesophegus which were caused by prolonged consumption of tobacco, especially the growing intake of pan masala among youngsters,'' he maintained.

''The Pan masalas being sold in the country under different names and brands contained 100 different carcinogenes -- substances capable of causing cancer,'' he added.

A complete ban of sale and consumption of tobacco products will certainly result in a drop of over 50 per cent in cancer cases occuring in the country every year, Col Ganguly maintained.

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