Ranchi Cancer Hospital & Research Centre hosts Tata Trusts’ ‘Gaanth Pe Dhyaan’ campaign launch event

Tata Trusts launched an innovative campaign for women in Ranchi called ‘Gaanth Pe Dhyaan’ to raise awareness around the early detection of breast cancer through self-examination

On the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Tata Trusts launched a unique campaign in Ranchi in October 2023, called ‘Gaanth Pe Dhyaan’. As part of the larger ‘Kaise Ka Cancer’ campaign spearheaded by the Trusts’ Cancer Care Programme, ‘Gaanth Pe Dhyaan’ aims to raise awareness, encourage open conversations, and drive community action towards breast cancer by educating women about the importance of breast self-examination at the grassroots level.

Over half of all breast cancer cases in India are diagnosed in the late stages of the disease, significantly reducing one’s chances of survival. Committed to reversing this alarming trend, the Tata Trusts are directly engaging with women to educate them about the importance of early detection. Taking inspiration from the meticulous care women put into cooking for their families – especially the care taken to prevent the formation of lumps in their food – the 'Gaanth Pe Dhyaan' campaign brilliantly encourages women to apply the same diligence to their health by self-examining their breasts regularly for any signs of a ‘gaanth’ (lump), which is a common symptom associated with breast cancer.

The launch event for the ‘Gaanth Pe Dhyaan’ campaign took place at Ranchi Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (RCHRC) in partnership with Priya Gupta, one of the leading chef and entrepreneur of Jharkhand. The chief guest for the occasion was Dr. Sujata Mitra, Director, Meherbai Tata Memorial Hospital and Head of the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur.

Chef Gupta was also joined by Chef Laiba Ashraf from Vivanta, DN Square, Bhubaneswar, who shared an inspiring story of hope, recounting her grandmother’s survival of breast cancer, thanks to early detection. The event turned out to be a massive success with many women coming forward to appreciate the effort taken to educate them about such an important, life-saving topic.

The event was attended by an all-women audience from the local communities and featured an interactive culinary demonstration where Chef Gupta prepared delectable festive dishes. During the demonstration, she discussed how lumps can ruin the taste and texture of a dish and highlighted that the same principle applies to breast cancer lumps. This metaphor served as the central theme of the ‘Gaanth Pe Dhyaan’ initiative, encouraging women to give their bodies the same care and attention through breast self-examinations, as they give to preventing lumps in their favorite dishes. Following the demonstration, over 400 women were given the opportunity to undergo breast cancer screenings at the RCHRC facility.