According to an estimate, there are about 2.5 million cancer patients in India. About eight lakhs new patients are registered at various hospitals every year of which two thirds go to the hospital at an advanced stage and four lakhs die every year as a result of this disease. Experts feel that 60 per cent of these cases are preventable and 30-40 percent are due to consumption of tobacco. Lt Gen BK Bopanna, Director General, NCC having realised the magnitude of cancer in India, promptly extended the helping hand of NCC to Cancer Care India (CACI) with a view to generating cancer awareness amongst the people. The joint cancer awareness programme of CACI and NCC has been a continuous process which is conducted all over the country in a systematic manner. The trained and motivated NCC cadets have been generating awareness on this dreaded disease in 580 districts, out of 597 in the country, where NCC is present. The awareness programme has been really effective. Today, a large number of people are cancer literates, thanks to CACI and NCC.

Of late, CACI and NCC jointly launched cancer awareness programme at Army Hospital (Research and Referral), New Delhi.
Lt Gen BK Bopanna, delivered the inaugural speech. Lt Gen BN Sahi, Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services was the chief guest and delivered the key-note address. Prof (Dr) Vinod Kochupillai, of AIIMS and Lt Gen AK Lahiri, DG MS (Army) were the guests of the honour, on the occasion.

In the second part of the programme, a workshop on cancer awareness was conducted for NCC cadets. The distinguished speakers in the workshop included Prof (Dr) Vinod Kochupillai, Col (Dr) Ranga Rao, Oncology Department Army R & R Hospital and Col Surajit Roy, Commanding Officer, 1 Delhi Girls Battalion NCC, himself a cancer survivor and Brig (Dr) G Rajagopal Oncologist, Army Hospital (R&R).

CACI is the apex body of cancer support groups in India. The concept of formation of the 'Apex Body' was conceived in November 2000 by 14 cancer support groups at the first All India Conference of Cancer support Groups held in Delhi. As on date the number of member support groups has increased to 20 located in different states.