Urban women in 50s prone to breast cancer
Debunking the popular belief that the incidence of breast cancer is
rising among India's younger women, doctors from Indian's premier cancer
hospital in Parel say the typical patient is, more often than not, in her 50s
and lives in an urban area.
"We have conducted a 20-year analysis of breast cancer rates among
the Indian population and found that while the rate of breast cancer is
definitely increasing among Indian women, it is mainly among menopausal women
who are in their 50s," said Tata Memorial Hospital's director Dr Rajendra
Badwe, who along with colleague Dr Rajesh Dikshit, authored a study published
in the Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology in August.
While cancer occurs among younger women as well, the doctor pointed out
that there was almost a tripling of cases among 50-plus women in the last two
decades. "We found the breast cancer incidence had increased
significantly—rising by 1.6% annually—among older women who were over 50 years
of age while there was a 1% corresponding increase among younger women,"
said Dr Dikshit.
Unlike in the west, cancer rates in India are relatively lower. A study
by Dr Preet Dhillon for Public Health Foundation of India said the
age-standardized incidence rate for breast cancer in India is 22.9 per 100,000,
one-third that of western countries (66.4). But experts say rapid urbanization
is changing the picture of breast cancer incidence across India.
An urbanized state like Punjab has higher incidence of breast cancer
than, say, Uttar Pradesh. States like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat are
more urbanized and hence, have a higher incidence of breast cancer.
"Urbanization affects breast cancer rate in three ways: The age of bearing
the first child among urban women is higher, women here breast feed children
for a shorter duration than in rural areas and, thirdly, an urban population is
usually more overweight or obese," said Dr Badwe.
The rural-urban divide is most telling in Barshi near Solapur, said Dr
Dikshit. The women living in Barshi town have a higher incidence of breast
cancer in comparison to their counterparts in Barshi village. "And, the
two places are barely 30 km apart," he added.
Doctors, however, say that all isn't dismal with respect to breast
cancer, which is the most common cancer in India. "There is a rise in the
awareness level, which is resulting in early detection of breast cancers. If
the average size of tumour in 1975 was 6.5 cm, it is 2.5 cm now," said Dr
Badwe, himself a breast cancer surgeon.
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