Mazumdar Shaw Medical Foundation in collaboration with Narayana Health will embark on a rural cancer surveillance programme from November 19, 2013.

The project will be lead by the department of head and neck oncology of Mazumdar-Shaw Cancer Centre that will attempt to educate the community about the early signs and symptoms of mouth and throat cancer, which are the commonest form of cancer in India. Other cancers that will be addressed are cancers of breast and cervix. It will be initiated at three villages of Atebele, Anekal, Gigini in the first phase and then will be rolled out to the other parts of Karnataka.

To support this program a vehicle for the medical professionals to visit the villages was donated by Dr N Ravindranthan. The initiative will be coordinated by Dr Moni Kuriakose, director, head and neck oncology and Dr NirupaBareja, director, Mazumdar Shaw Medical foundation - corporate outreach programme.

The rural cancer surveillance programme to be initiated by Mazumdar-Shaw Medical Foundation will strive to remove these barriers by reaching out to the rural community, educating the people about the early warning signs of cancers, screening for common cancers, and undertaking preventive measures, according to the press release.

The programme will be launched by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairman and managing director, Biocon and Dr Devi Shetty, chairman, Narayana Health.

Over 75 per cent of the cancer at diagnosis are in stage IV. The detection of cancer at an advanced stage can significantly lower the chance of cure, increase the side effects of treatment as well the cost-associated with the treatment.

Further the delay in diagnosis of cancer is primarily because of the lack of awareness of the symptoms associated with common cancers and poor access to medical care in the rural setting, according to the Centre.