~ Features women who also play the role of a daughter, a wife, and a mother – all cancer survivors and stronger than ever ~

 Celebrating International Women’s Day 2022, American Oncology Institute (AOI) has come up with a unique way to commemorate the day. It has launched a campaign to salute the spirit of cancer survivors celebrating female cancer survivors, who, with their grit and determination are valiantly fighting the battle and emerging winners. Navigating the many downturns and side effects that cancer brings along, these women who also play the role of a daughter, a wife, and a mother, are all cancer survivors and stronger than ever. The campaign reinforces the commitment of AOI’s tagline “we journey with you” in helping these warriors in these tough times.

AOI is the leading cancer hospital chain of South Asia operating 16 cancer hospitals in the region. American Oncology Institute co-founded in 2012 by a group of physicians and industry experts, is today a wholly owned subsidiary of the largest cancer medical technology company- Varian Medical Systems (a Siemens Healthineers Company). While AOI offers best in class Clinical expertise, technological superiority and service excellence, this campaign focuses on the softer and holistic aspects of a cancer patients journey and aligns to the central campaign idea i.e., #AOICancercare and #Wejourneywithyou. Their comprehensive cancer care program is specially designed to give patients the strength they need to recover. 

At the launch of the campaign, Dr Jagprag Singh Gujral, Group CEO, CTSI, South Asia, said, “This International Women’s Day we salute the warrior spirit of women who have fought and continue fighting cancer fearlessly and relentlessly. We strive to further empower their strength and perseverance and help others draw inspiration from their journey.”

The campaign is already live in 10+ states in the form of outdoor and other in-house advertising.  The video for the campaign features actor, storyteller, poet, writer, and TV personality Priya Malik who is seen reciting poetry for the campaign in her soulful style and will be released across AOI’s social media channels.

As per the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP), it is estimated that the number of cancer cases is likely to increase from 13.9 lakh in 2020 to a whopping figure of 15.7 lakh by 2025, a jump of almost 20 per cent. India along with the United States and China collectively accounts for almost one third of the global breast cancer burden. Among the various types of cancers affecting individuals, breast cancer is the one that is a major health concern across India with statistics bringing out the stark reality of metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai accounting for more than a fourth of all female cancers.

Breast cancer is also the number one cancer among Indian females. Everyone in 28 Indian women is likely to develop breast cancer during her lifetime. The age adjusted rate is as high as 25.8 per 100,000 women and the mortality rate is about 12.7 per 100,000 women. The age adjusted incidence rate of carcinoma or cancer of the breast was found as high as 41 per 100,000 women for Delhi, followed by Chennai (37.9), Bangalore (34.4) and Thiruvananthapuram District (33.7).  Mortality-to-incidence ratio stands at a high of 66 in rural registries whereas as low as 8 in urban registries. Better health awareness and breast cancer screening programmes along with affordable treatment facilities would present a better outlook for breast cancer patients.