Jamshedpur, May 29: Another World No Tobacco Day is near, but not without alarming figures of oral cancer.

Out of 1,000 persons who turned up for a cancer camp from May 25 to 28, altogether 75 were detected with leukoplakia (borderline cases of oral cancer) and five with oral cancer.

Oncologist Dr Nafis Akhtar Khan of MTMH said, ?The figures reveal a large number of people have shown symptoms of oral cancer. During a survey conducted last year, we found out that every year there was an increase of nearly 10 per cent in the number of cases of oral cancer reported at the Meherbai Tata Memorial Hospital (MTMH).?

Oral cancer, Khan said, affects head and neck and almost 30 per cent cases were caused due to the excessive use of tobacco. ?And every year we observe World No Tobacco Week to ensure that all workers and labourers are examined and referred for treatment,? he said.

The cancer awareness camp, that began on May 25 to observe the World No Tobacco Week, is jointly conducted by MTMH and Cancare, a non-government organisation working for cancer patients.

Oncologists have already conducted the camp at Power House gate at Jugsalai, Tatanagar railway station, Burmamines gate of Tata Steel and at Bari Maidan.

The Jojobera gate of Tata Motors would be the camp?s final destination. The camp targets the labour class as they lack awareness and often ignore the symptoms. Though five confirmed cases of oral cancer have been detected in the first four days, oncologists believe that the number is bound to shoot up after the check-up of the contract labourers at the Jojobera gate.

?It was one of the most vulnerable areas that we spotted. About 300 persons had attended the camp last year during the cancer awareness camp and 34 per cent of those examined were detected with leukoplakia,? said Sister Felicia, head, CanCare. And most of the cases she said belonged to the age group of 18-35 years.

?We?ll conclude the camp with a street play at Sakchi jail on May 31, World No Tobacco Day,? Khan said.