Tobacco use is now a national health emergency rather than a personal habit. Nearly one-third of all cases of oral cancer worldwide occur in India, where 52,000 people die from the disease each year and 77,000 new cases are diagnosed.

Apollo Cancer Centres (ACC) has started a proactive screening program called #OraLife, which aims to detect oral cancer early, in honour of World No Tobacco Day. Public awareness, regular screening, and focused intervention are the program’s main focuses, especially for high-risk groups like alcohol and tobacco users, HPV-16-infected people, and those with a history of oral lesions.

To offer comprehensive assistance to those attempting to kick tobacco addiction, ACC has teamed up with the Isha Foundation. This partnership combines support for mental and emotional wellness with physical health interventions.

The most prevalent cancer in Indian men is oral cancer, which is also steadily increasing in women. States have very different incidence rates; Kerala has the lowest rate, and West Bengal has the highest. Meghalaya, Maharashtra, and Ahmedabad Urban all report startlingly high numbers, which are mostly caused by tobacco use. Risk factors are particularly common in underprivileged communities with little access to preventive care, such as the combined use of alcohol, betel quid, and smokeless tobacco. Poor nutrition increases the risk of the disease, which is increasingly affecting people between the ages of 31 and 50.

Trained medical oncologists and head and neck surgeons perform a thorough visual and tactile oral examination as part of the Oral Cancer Screening Program, or #OraLife. It seeks to detect early warning indicators, many of which are frequently missed, such as lumps, red or white patches, persistent ulcers, and non-healing sores.

Apollo has partnered with the Isha Foundation to integrate spiritual well-being into its tobacco cessation initiatives in order to promote mental and emotional healing. People will have access to a short but powerful, 7-minute guided meditation led by Sadhguru as part of this.

The initiative tackles the financial and emotional costs of tobacco use in addition to the health burden. Studies show that compared to non-users, tobacco users spend more than Rs 1.1 lakh more on healthcare throughout their lifetime. Beyond just health issues, tobacco use lowers life expectancy, increases insurance costs, restricts the amount of money that can be paid out for claims, and destabilises families, especially when the primary breadwinner is impacted.

Apollo Cancer Centres urges tobacco users to reconsider the true costs of their habits, taking into account not only their health but also their financial stability and emotional health, through the #CutTheCost campaign. As the most effective preventative measures, the campaign emphasises the importance of early detection and sustained lifestyle modification.

Priyanka Dutta