The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee laid the Foundation Stone of a State Cancer Institute and inaugurated the Foundation Day celebrations of the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology in Bengaluru today (December 23, 2015).

Speaking on the occasion, the President called for an all out offensive against cancer and achieve a decisive victory through active collaboration and participation of Government, industry and academia. He complimented the Institute for taking a major leap towards extending state of the art cancer care facilities to poor patients.

The President said the unabated spread of cancer continues to be a matter of great concern. The incidence of cancer has been increasing worldwide and India is also showing a steep increase in cases over the years. Systems need to be developed for early detection and proper disease management. It needs to be explored how technology can be best utilised for both prevention of cancer and its treatment. An appropriate and well defined communication strategy will also be a key factor in the fight against cancer.

The President said sustained and collaborative multi-agency effort is needed to minimize the suffering of patients and their families. He expressed hope that the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology will continue to serve people and the nation by being a major player in India's war against cancer.

The release issued at 1230 hrs.