AMRITSAR:Owing to lifestyle and menarche, breast cancer is emerging as a serious health risk among the women of Majha region of Punjab. Experts blame it on the eating habits as well. The Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SGRDIMSR) alone registering almost double the patients with breast cancer as compared to the last decade.Speaking to TOI on Wednesday Dean SGRDIMS A PSingh informed that in comparison to 10 or 15 patients er month earlier, now they get around 25 to 30 breast cancer patients in a month. ``The cases of breast cancer was higher in young females as compared to elderly ones,’’ said Singh. Head of Oncology department, SGRDIMSR Meena Sudan who has treating cancer patients for past over a decade informed that they were receiving women patients with breast cancer in the age group of 40 to 60. Citing food with higher fat content as one of the reasons she said, ``High intake of ghee, butter, cream fried food , lack of physical activities early menarche are some of the possible reasons for breast cancer,’’ she said. If detected early ,cancer is curable she said adding that generally patients arrives at hospital during the second, third and fourth stage of breast cancer having 30% to 40% survival rate. Despite living in the era of internet and social media, women here are still shy to approach doctors due to lack of awareness and keeps their disease secret.
Sukhminder Kaur (name changed), a breast cancer patient undergoing treatment in a private hospital informed that she did not approach a doctor for a very long time for checkup and medication till it was too late. “Believe it or not in villages many women keep this disease as secret till there is no other option left except to visit a doctor” she said.