Tirupati: Lack of awareness is causing more cancer deaths and timely detection of disease and treat-ment can save more lives, said health minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav.

Speaking to media persons on the occasions of World Cancer Day here on Tuesday, the health minister said the government on its part made renewed efforts to enhance the awareness level and also expanding facilities for cancer detection and treatment.

Separate cancer units were also set up in the district and the health workers conducting cancer tests at the doorsteps of the people for early detection of the killer disease.

In Andhra Pradesh, 71 lakh people availed cancer tests in which 66,000 were found suffering with cancer.

Particularly, more people are found to be suffering with throat cancer.

This apart, the Centre and the state government were also providing medicines for cancer treatment at a nominal price and Ayushman Bharath health scheme and Ayush medicines were also available to a large number of people in the country. In this connection, he said nationwide four crore cancer tests were conducted.

Samanchi Srinivas, Kola Anand, Ponaganti Bhaskar, Vara Prasad, Naveen Kumar Reddy were present.