To help rehabilitate women who have undergone mastectomy (total breast removal) for breast cancer, the Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar, has launched an initiative to provide silicon breast prosthesis.
On World Cancer Day on Tuesday, V. Shanta, chairman of the Cancer Institute, handed over the breast prosthesis to patients. This year, the day is being observed with the tagline, ‘I am and I will’, emphasising the need for early detection and cancer prevention and raising awareness on signs to reduce cancer morbidity and improve patients’ chances of survival.
The initiative, supported by the HCL Foundation, will be a continuous process, in which women who undergo mastectomy at the institute will receive the prosthesis, V. Surendran, associate professor and head, Department of Psycho-oncology, Cancer Institute, said.
Arvind Krishnamurthy, professor and head, Department of Surgical Oncology at the institute, said earlier, every appropriately-staged woman with breast cancer had to necessarily undergo mastectomy. “However, over the last three decades, the option of breast conservation has become available, especially for women with early-stage cancers, with survival outcomes similar to the traditional mastectomy approach. Breast conservation is also an option for highly-selected women with advanced-stage breast cancers, who respond well to upfront chemotherapy,” he said.
Approximately 10-35% women with early-stage breast cancer in India opt for breast conservation, he said, adding: “The factors at play include eligibility of women for conservation, as against mastectomy, patient preference and doctor’s attitude.”
With relatively high mastectomy rates in the country, there is a definite need to rehabilitate these women, he said.
“Rehabilitative options include plastic surgery or prosthetic rehabilitation with silicon. Hence, we at the Cancer Institute are giving women, who have undergone mastectomy, the option of external silicon prosthesis. It will be given free for patients who cannot afford the same,” he added.
Dr. Shanta stressed on the need to dispel myths about cancer. “There is no need for fear. Cancer is curable, but early diagnosis is important. Cancer can be prevented. We need to create more awareness to dispel the myths,” she said. The institute organised a cycle rally to create awareness on cancer, while students held placards at 25-30 traffic signals in the city. Newton Raj, deputy manager, HCL Foundation, was present.
At the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, participants, led by dean R. Jayanthi, took a pledge to create awareness on cancer, that was followed by a rally. V.S. Hospitals organised an awareness walkathon. S. Subramanian, chairman and managing director of the hospital, was present. The hospital also conducted a hair donation and blood donation drive.