WITH A VISION OF A BETTER TOMORROW INDIA TURNS PINK

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that can grow and invade nearby tissues or spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Evidences and research studies over the years has shown that Women are more prone to get breast cancer. The factors leading to breast cancer are age, diet, lifestyle, stress obesity etc.

According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, claiming the lives of hundreds and thousands of women each year and affecting countries at all levels of modernization.

IN INDIA Breast cancer accounts for 25% to 32% of all female cancers in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and more. This implies, practically, one fourth (or even approaching one thirds) of all female cancer cases are breast cancers.

Breast cancer is a non-existent entity for a majority of population till a near and dear one suffers from it. Healthcare is low on priority and even in major cities; screening is also an 'alien' word for most people. So naturally, this results in most people presenting only when symptomatic, and on an average, most 'symptomatic' cancers are stage 2B and beyond (significant numbers in stages 3 and 4). So the breast cancer patients do not tend to survive for a longer time, as their western counterparts.
In the West, majority of breast cancers (read more than 75%) present in stages 1 and 2, resulting in good survival; and there are an ever increasing numbers of patients presenting with mammography detected cancer, with no symptoms. India needs to reach this achievement, and it is only with aggressive promotion of screening and awareness and proper treatment that India will achieve this, since there are very less organizations and specialty hospitals working for breast cancer with treatment costing a fortune, the recorded Death rate caused due to breast cancer hasincreased to 64%, thus proper accessible and affordable type of services to the communities is the need of the hour.

India Turns Pink is a social welfare organization initiated in 11th August 2003 in the name of World Wide Educational and Social Welfare Trust (WEST), in the year 2012 it started in the name of West Cancer Research Foundation working for the Prevention of Breast cancer. Its goal is to empower the society on breast cancer.

Mr.P.A Ananda Kumar, the founder of India Turns Pink started his career as a fine artist in the year 1990. He achieved world record for Non-Stop Drawing for 16 hours without lifting his hand from the paper and made 120 portraits of the visitors, at Kualampur Malaysia. His paintings were displayed in Langkawi museum. He has presented portraits to Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Magadhir Mohamed and was honored by him. Mr. Ananda Kumar had also made portraits for former Indian Prime Minister Sri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Former president of India Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, Scientific advisor for the Prime minister of India Dr.R.Chidambaram and of many more International and National personalities. He started WCRF (West Cancer Research Foundation) in August 2003.

From 2003 he started creating Cancer awareness programme, counselling session, screening for the student and rural community. He got many awards for his genuine contributions to the society from the National, International and State Levels like ‘SevaRatna’ award from south Indian cultural academy in the year 2003, he was awarded has a ‘Karmayogi’ presented by Karmayog in the year 2007. Thailand Peace Envoy awarded him as ‘International Excellent service ‘for his best service in cancer field. He has done many promotions for vegetarianism and World vegetarian congress who has awarded him as the best vegetarian promoter in Bangkok. 
In 2009 he was awarded has a “World Peace Ambassador” from WCPA USA for his peace related activities. 

India Turns Pink aims to be a catalyst to change the society’s view on breast cancer, to create public awareness about breast cancer, advocate early cancer detection, and inspire corporations, institutions, individuals, organizations and the community at large to extend their support for this noble cause, by giving their time, effort, and resources. India Turns Pink is proactively involved in providing emotional, physical and financial support for the breast cancer patients especially the poor, about 35 breast cancer patients per year are benefited by ITP , which helps by assisting their medical expenses and services rendered. Disseminating the good news that breast cancer is a curable disease and doingthe best to erase the fear of breast cancer among women by promoting it as a treatable disease and by providing an opportunity for early cancer detection through collaboration with specialized medical institutions all over India.

ITP focuses to organize national and international conferences advocating breast cancer awareness, and to establish information and research center in the districts of Tamil Nadu having pamphlets, books, documentary films on the topics related to breast cancer to be a source of information to the public.

India Turns Pink aims to establish special home care centers on its own or in collaboration for children and adults affected by cancer and also to assist in the formation of support groups. India Turns Pink has aimed and focused to increase breast cancer awareness amongst the younger generation women particularly the urban women as a recent survey have pointed to a steep rise in the breast cancer cases in urban and metropolitan cities.

ITP foundation has been creating PINK DISTRICTS providing screening facilities for early detection and prevention of breast cancer, furthermore ITP creates PINK WARRIOR CLUBS in colleges all over Tamil Nadu and imparts education and training to students on breast self-examination (BSE) in turn these students train others in the college and  in their neighborhood, the trainers are also provided with BSE card to identify themselves as professional and scientific trainers, aiding in educating the rural community about the issue.

ITP will establish stimulation laboratories with the state-of-the-art technology and other training tools and aides aimed at imparting practical knowledge and training on breast cancer symptoms and early detection methods. The organization has conducted a number of events bringing forth the awareness on breast cancer in states across India, it also recognizes every year 108 eminent successful women of diversified fields as PINK AMBASSADORS by honoring them. And brand ambassadors each per year are selected in order to promote the cause of the organization the well-known actress Ms.HansikaMothwani was the brand ambassador in the year 2014 followed by

Ms.TappssePannu for the year 2015 was made the brand ambassador of India Turns Pink.

Our goal is to establish 683 Pink Districts to prevent Breast Cancer in Tamil nadu and 29 states in the country promoting Breast Cancer Free India. Which will also reach the poor and needy all Caste, Creed and Religion without discrimination. With the vision to be a pioneering charity organization ITP creates public awareness on breast cancer, and to advocate early detection to save lives of women especially in India. Having its primary aim to start a cancer specialty hospital focusing to cater the needs of the poor suffering from cancer.

The organization’s mission,

“LET’S PREVENT BREAST CANCER”
“BREAST CANCER FREE INDIA2030”

Breast Cancer Patient Aid (BCPA), India Turns Pink foundation has taken initiative to provide financial support to help the families with breast cancer victims to meet basic needs decrease stress levels and allow them to focus on healing while improvising survivorship outcomes. ITP is to establish a “medicine bank” exclusively to meet the medical needs of patients ,thus bridging the poor and the cost of medical expenses.

India Turns Pink organization also aims to encourage corporations, institutions, individuals, organization and the community to extend their support for this noble cause by giving their valuable time, effort, resource & money.

In recent years India Turns Pink foundation, branched out in many cities and states of India like Chennai Turns Pink, Delhi Turns Pink, Mumbai Turns Pink, Lucknow Turns Pink etc.., in 2010 for creating Breast Cancer awareness,programs in women colleges were done in the form of various events like rallies, Pink ribbon walks, signature campaigns, breast cancer screening programs, counselling sessionsetc, were conducted in collegesand schools like St.Antony Higher Secondary School, Dharmamurthi Rao BhahadurCalavalaCunnanChetty's Hindu College,MarGregorios Arts & Science college, Women’s Christian college, Ethiraj college for women, Queen maries college, Stella maris college, and other leading colleges in Chennai.ITP over the years started Pink warrior clubs, gathering women supporting the cause and to help the breast cancer victims werealso part of the services done by the organization.

India Turns Pink has reached around 5,45,000 women across the nation, has inducted about 27,000 Pink warriors and has trained 11,000 individuals in BSE by conducting over 3,200 women empowerment workshops. 370 pink ambassadors have been selected from various walks of life who have established their career.

Thus, ITP is admired for its dedicated care and love for the community through its support services for breast cancer patients and their families; ensuring that no breast cancer patient is alone in facing her challenge with the disease and treatments, thus being the pillar of support to all individuals , families and society afflicted with breast cancer.