No awareness puts 90% Jaipur women in breast cancer zone

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer in women, but poor awareness about importance of timely examination makes more than 90 per cent of the women in Jaipur vulnerable to the second most common malignancy in the absence of proper diagnosis.

According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 4), only about 6% women between the age of 15 and 49 in Jaipur have ever undergone breast examination. A combination of regular breast self-examination and undertaking clinical evaluation through mammography are considered the effective means for early diagnosis of breast cancer in women. Survey also shows that in Rajasthan only 4.8% such women have ever gone undergone breast examination.

The World Health Organization (WHO) prescribes mammography screening or X-ray of breast as the only cancer screening method that has proven to be effective till date.

“The incidence of breast cancer is increasing in the developing world due to urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles. In fact, more women in the urban areas are affected by breast cancer than those in the rural areas. Lack of awareness among women prevents them from self-examination or clinical evaluation and increases their risk of being affected by breast cancer,” Dr Savita Bansal, senior consultant, obstetrics & gynecology at Fortis La Femme said.

As per experts, Early Breast Cancer (EBC) constitutes only 30% of the breast cancer cases in India compared to 60 to 70% of cases in the developed world. Over two-third of the cases in India report for diagnostic and treatment services in advanced stages of the disease, resulting in poor survival and high mortality rates. This significant delay in detecting breast cancer in India contributes to the disproportionately higher mortality rates among Indian women despite lower incidence of breast cancer compared to that in developed countries.

“In India, lack of awareness, poor healthcare among women, especially among those who belong to the lower socio-economic strata, and have limited access to effective healthcare and referral services for management of the disease hamper poor breast cancer diagnosis,” said Dr Savita.

Preventive Cure

Experts suggest that women aged 40 and above should opt for mammography. Breast cancer can be prevented by avoiding smoking and consumption of alcohol, adding vegetables and fruits in diet to maintain healthy body weight in every woman while new mothers should continue breastfeeding their child for at least one year.