Tata Trusts fight against cancer with campaign – ‘Kaise Ka Cancer’

Supporting the movement to ‘close the care gap’ ahead of World Cancer Day, Tata Trusts has launched its latest campaign“Kaise Ka Cancer” that highlights the feeling of uncertainty that cancer patients and their caregivers, especially those from smaller towns and villages, experience when detected with cancer. The campaign raises awareness around four key pillars that can alleviate India’s problem of growing cancer burden: awareness, accessibility, quality care and affordability. 

The three-film campaign is conceptualised by Rediffusion Brand Solutions and produced by Cutaway Films. The films capture insights based on learnings from an in-depth consumer study conducted in various parts of the country to help trace a patient’s journey from ‘disease discovery’ to ‘disease recovery’ 

The first film takes viewers on an emotional journey into the lives of cancer patients, highlighting how uncertainties around their personal lives, finances, and future weigh more on their minds than the cancer itself, and how the four pillars of Tata Trusts Cancer Care Programme provide relief. The campaign then builds on the stress of uncertainties in the next film which highlights the mental agony of the patient’s family-members and caregivers through this difficult time and the ray of hope that hospitals supported by Tata Trusts provide for the entire family. The third film showcases the need to stop ignoring symptoms such as difficulty in swallowing, lumps, mouth ulcer and unusual vaginal discharge and highlights the importance of getting checked and tested – an imperative measure in India, where the already high disease burden is exacerbated due to delayed detection.

Talking about the campaign, Ms. Deepshikha Surendran, Head of Brand and Marketing Communications, Tata Trusts, said, “Tata Trusts’ entry into cancer care dates back to 1941 when the Tata Memorial Hospital opened in Mumbai as a beacon of strength for those feeling hopeless. Through the ‘Kaise Ka Cancer’ campaign, we want to highlight the Trusts’ efforts across the entire spectrum of the life cycle of a person affected by cancer. Our goal with this 360-degree campaign and the activations that will follow, is to increase awareness around the importance of regular screening and highlight the resources available to people who may be detected with cancer and let them know that with accessible and affordable aid and assistance, there is hope.”

Commenting on the idea for the film, Kalyani Srivastav, Joint President, Rediffusion Brand Solutions added, “Our campaign thought of 'Kaise Ka Cancer' was based on extensive research. We realised that there is a bigger disease than Cancer, which it triggers at its very onset. It's the condition of the unknown. The patient is faced with too many unsettling questions with no answers in sight. These questions consume the patient more than the disease itself. The 1st step to win against cancer is to have answers to these questions.”

Today, India’s reported cancer incidence stands at 15 lakhs with real incidence estimated to be 1.5 to 3 times higher than the reported cases. At the same time, while globally 30% of cancer patients lose their lives as a result of detection at a later stage and 70% of the lives are saved as a result of awareness leading to early-detection; unfortunately, in India, this 30:70 ratio stands reversed, with 70% of lives being lost to late-detection, mainly due to lack of awareness and low penetration of screening programs.  The ‘Kaise Ka Cancer’ campaign by Tata Trusts, which has been championing efforts to help reduce India’s cancer burden since 1941, comes as another step necessary in transforming cancer care in India by improving the quality of life of cancer patients and their kin.

The ‘Kaise’ film series will be phased over the next two weeks, supported by multi-city cancer screening drives, aimed at setting the nation on the path to reversing the early to late detection ratio from the existing 30:70 to 70:30 over the next few years through sustained efforts in driving awareness and screening.

The Trusts’ teams are carrying out screening drives at:

1. Ranchi, Jharkhand
2. Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh
3. Chandrapur, Maharashtra
4. Barpeta, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Tezpur - Assam
5. Cuttack, Odisha