New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS): Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit flagged off a cancer awareness walk at a school here Sunday, with the mission of "making schools tobacco free zones".

"It is good to see awareness for a disease like cancer picking up pace with the people," Dikshit said at the Navy Children School in south Delhi's Chanakyapuri area.

The theme of the annual walk, that was first held in 2005, was "addressing cancer as a lifestyle-related disease". Nearly 200 students participated in the walk organised by voluntary group Indian Cancer Support (ICS).

With the number of cancer cases expected to cross 15 lakhs by 2015, experts say cancer mortality can be reduces if the disease is detected early. While lung, head and neck cancer is the most common cancer among men, women are mainly affected by breast and cervical cancer.

"Cancer does not mean death. The growing numbers of cancer survivors are testimony to the fact that cancer is curable when detected early," said ICS additional secretary Jyotsna Govil.