India’s first gene counseling facility: ‘Play to Prevent Cancer’
News Alliance
NEW DELHI, January 06, 2025: WinZO launched the initiative ‘Play to Prevent Cancer’ to raise funds for early cancer detection through gene counselling and also to create awareness for its 200 million user bases on the critical role of early cancer detection. Through its ‘Play to Prevent Cancer’ hour on its platform, WinZO raised funds from its users and its 200 team members matched the amount raised through its user base to expand the total donation.
This amount was donated to Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) at Tata Memorial Hospital and will be used to train the gene counselling team at the Tata Memorial Hospital.
WinZO opted to scale India’s early cancer detection capabilities since cancer has now become one of leading causes of death and imposes heavy burden on the patients, their caregivers, and families at large. During 2000-2019, ~13 mn Indians lost their lives to 23 forms of cancer; this is twice the size of Singapore. In 2022, globally there were 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths. The number of new annual cases is expected to rise to new 35 million cases by 2050.
However, during the last 20 years, there have been significant breakthroughs in cancer prevention, treatment, and palliative care. The most impactful intervention comes at the stage of Genetic Counselling, rapidly emerging as the pivotal tool to preempt and mitigate the risk of cancer. The partnership between WinZO, India’s largest interactive social gaming platform, and Tata Memorial Hospital aims to address the burgeoning risk of cancer through genetic counselling to improve knowledge of genetics prone to cancer and support early detection and treatment among prospective cancer patients in India.
Dr Rajiv Sarin, Head of the Cancer Genetics Clinic and Cancer Genetics/Genomics Lab at Tata Memorial Hospital, emphasized the importance of capacity building and skilling: “I thank WinZO and its users for their invaluable contributions. Their support for Genetic Counselling Professionals will be crucial in assisting millions of Indians diagnosed with cancer. These Cancer Genetic Professionals would provide timely, culturally sensitive, individualised, and evidence-based genetic counselling to cancer patients To maximize the impact of donated resources, such as equipment or infrastructure, we need an army of well-trained, motivated professionals.”
Games on WinZO’s platform also often serve as a therapeutic tool to reduce stress, anxiety, and social isolation related to illness, providing distraction through entertainment, and enhancing mental agility among cancer patients. Casual social games like on WinZO’s platform offers cancer patients an avenue to explore alternative coping methods by playing games that improve cognitive benefits such as attention control, cognitive flexibility, and information processing, thereby addressing symptoms of depression and anxiety. WinZO’s users highlighted how its games have struck a chord with patients undergoing cancer treatment and facing the associated mental health challenges. They have mentioned how it made them part of the larger community and provided a sense of belonging through physical isolation. This drastically reduced their anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Nachiket Mor, Scientist at The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health, further highlighted the potential of gaming in healthcare, "Cancer patients often face significant mental health challenges, with up to 90% experiencing anxiety and many older adults battling loneliness post-diagnosis. The fight against cancer can leave you with long-term mental health issues, not only for the patient but also for their families. Online gaming offers a promising yet underutilized tool to support mental well-being, improve treatment adherence, and educate patients in an engaging and non-intimidating way. By integrating gaming into cancer care, we can foster resilience, enhance patient support, and create a more compassionate healthcare system, providing a significant avenue to support patients during times of crisis and for addressing long-term challenges such as depression, anxiety, and more."
A cancer survivor and user of WinZO, shared their experience, "Gaming on WinZO’s platform was a huge relief for me. Whenever I felt anxious or overwhelmed, I would take a few minutes to play, focusing on my strategy and the game rather than my worries. The fast-paced games, often lasting just 2-3 minutes, redirected my energy toward something positive and mentally engaging. Whether solving word puzzles or working with numbers, these games distracted me and built my mental skills, keeping me motivated and optimistic during challenging times.”
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