UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Methods:Lifeline Foundation is an active NGO working for AIDS control in a locality called Indiranagar of area about 4 Sq. Km. populated mostly by families of migrant settlers. The cancer NGO, NOTE-India carried out a programme in 2003-04 for reducing risk of tobacco related cancers in collaboration with Lifeline Foundation. Four Medico Social Workers(MSW) of Lifeline Foundation were given training and educational materials for imparting behavioral counseling for tobacco cessation by the cancer NGO. These MSW's identified and registered for the programme 1027 tobacco users(850 men and 177 women), who were followed by MSW's for 12 months by making house visits and were given counseling at each meeting. House visits were made two weeks after registration for 8 weeks and then at monthly intervals up to the 4th month and then at intervals of 2 months up to the 12th month. The work of MSW's was supervised by field workers of the cancer NGO.

Results:Of the 1027 registered tobacco users, 1002 were followed for more than 8 months and 762 were followed up to 12 months. Analysis showed that 324(31.3%) quit tobacco habit within 4 months of registration, 502(48.7%) quit within 8 months and 625(60.9%) quit by 12 months. Risk of tobacco related cancers is thus substancially reduced in this joint programme of cancer NGO and another health related NGO active in the locality.