Hundreds participate in 'Cancer walk' in Delhi

New Delhi, Jan.31 (ANI): Hundreds of people participated in the Indian Cancer Society Walk held here on Sunday to show their solidarity to those affected by the disease.

Union Sports Minister M.S. Gill flagged off the walk, held for the fourth consecutive year from the Air Force Bal Bharati School, Lodi Road.

Gill, on this occasion, praised the participants for helping raise awareness of the disease and supporting cancer sufferers, and said: "Cancer is becoming, if I could say, a common disease. It is, if anything, growing. You come across situations, people you know, or people who suffer, and you read about them. Therefore, it is worthwhile to try and help," said Gill.

The slogan for this year's walk was 'Miley sur mera tumhara to sur bane hamara'.

The cancer society walk was led by Shera, the mascot for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi in October this year.

Each year, more than one million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in India and almost 80% are diagnosed too late for a cure,

Two thirds of all cancer cases in India are lifestyle-associated, with 45% of cancers among men and 14% among women related to tobacco.

In 2000, there were an estimated 10.4 million new cases of cancer diagnosed worldwide and 6.5 million deaths from cancer, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

But by 2030, the IARC estimates that there will be 20 to 25 million new cases every year and 13 to 16 million deaths. (ANI)