India sees 1.3Lakh breast cancer cases annually

There is a shift in age group and now the disease is prevalent in younger women, says study.

About 1.3 lakh fresh cases of breast cancer are reported in India every year; a decade ago the number stood at 54,000. Doctors attribute this increase to both rise in awareness among people and rise in cases of cancer.

Every year October is observed as International breast cancer awareness month.

President of India medical Association's MP State branch, Dr Dilip Acharya said, “The prime concern now is that even after established concepts of detection, diagnosis and ever-expanding scope of treatment, every year about 5 lakh women still succumb to breast cancer worldwide and about 30,000 in India."

Dr Acharya said about 1.3 lakh fresh cases of breast cancer come up annually. "The prevalence of the disease in urban and rural women is almost equal. The only difference being, cancer in rural women is diagnosed in much later stages, which is fatal," he added.

Associate professor at District Cancer Hospital Dr Preeti Jain said, “A decade ago, cancer was a remote disease, but now it has become common like a heart stroke." Till date, 3,200 fresh cases of cancer have come to the hospital, out of which 400 are breast cancers, she told dna.

Dr Jain also pointed about increase in cases of breast cancer in women below the age of 40.

Delayed marriage, imbalance of hormonal flow, contraceptive pills are major contributors to breast cancer.

A study conducted by breastcancerindia.net shows that there is a shift in age group for occurrence of breast cancer. The disease is creeping into younger women!

The study points, 25 years back, out of every 100 breast cancer patients, 2 were in 20 to 30 age group, 7 were in 30 to 40; and 69 patients were above 50 years of age. Presently, 4 are in 20 to 30 age group; 16 are in 30 to 40; 28 are in 40 to 50 age group. So, almost 48% patients are below 50.

Dr Dharkar said, "With consultation available in many cities, self breast examination, mammography of soft tissue X-ray of the breast is also more widely available, diagnosis now is very much in women's reach"

But the increased mortality due to breast cancer is rather disturbing, though treatment is available, adds Dr Dharkar.

Indore can be medical tourism destination

In coming days Indore can grow up to become the cheapest destination for medical treatment. The city is equipped with best technology that is present any where in the world. At a 4-day international workshop on head & neck cancer organised by Association of Radiation Oncologists of India at SAIMS, doctors said, Indore can be new medical tourism destination of world. About 150 cancer specialist from all over the country and overseas students participated in the meet.

Live demonstration on latest linear accelerator for cancer treatment was given. Dr Virendra Bhandari of SAIMS said, "The machine has made it possible for the radiotherapist to give minimum dose to organs at risk and maximum targeted dose of radiation therapy to the tumor so that the patient may be saved from unnecessary radiation and side effects and have maximum benefits."

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-india-sees-1-3lakh-breast-cancer-cases-annually-1911804