Hospital to spread breast cancer awareness

Nagpur: Continuing with its initiative started nearly two years ago, Mandhaniya Cancer Hospital at Ramdaspeth will continue to spread breast and cervical cancer awareness this Women’s Day.
On March 8, an awareness programme will be organized at the hospital. Women will also be encouraged to visit the hospital between 4pm and 6pm to get themselves screened for cancer.

Titled ‘#PressForProgress,’ oncologists and cancer experts encourage women to be more aware of the various lifestyle and genetic factors that increase breast cancer and to opt for early screening. “Breast cancer in stage 1 is 90% curable, whereas only 10% curable in stage 4. Most breast cancer cases are diagnosed in later stages when treatment is not always as effective,” said Dr Sushil Mandhaniya, senior medical oncologist.

Mandhaniya said that breast cancer now accounts for over 10% of all new cancer cases detected in India. In 2015, there were an estimated 1,55,000 new cases of breast cancer and about 76,000 deaths from the disease.

The Institute started spreading awareness last year through school education programmes and has already made aware students of six schools. In western countries, though there is higher percentage of women detected with breast cancer, the mortality rate is low. Moreover, in western countries, cancer is usually detected in women over 60 years.

Here, the ratio is more in women below 50 years, and most cancers are detected at an advanced stage. The cancer has increased due to increasing adoption of western lifestyle among Indian women, fatty diet and late marriage, among other things.

“Women in India are reluctant to go to a male doctor,” said Mandhaniya, adding that education, awareness, hygiene, self-care and vaccination can go a long way in reducing cases of cancer in women.