HYDERABAD: With incidence of breast cancer increasing rapidly in the urban areas, particularly among young women, the need for screening those with high risk has become necessary, says an expert.

While cervical cancer used to afflict more number of women till a few years go, breast cancer had become the premier ailment in all metropolitan tumour registries in the country, Ch. Mohana Vamsy, Director and Chief Surgical Oncologist, Indo-American Cancer Institute and Research Centre, told The Hindu .

New patients

At least one lakh new breast cancer patients were being registered each year in the country, he said. In the West, this disease was the number one killer with one in every 50 women aged above 50 years having it. He feared that a similar situation might be prevailing in urban India. Interestingly, cervical cancer was on the decline in both urban and rural areas.

Major risk factors

Citing the risk factors, he said childless women, those with late pregnancies (above 30 years) and who do not breast-feed children, premature onset of menstrual cycle, late menopause, family history and those who underwent long-term use of estrogen replacement therapy would be at a higher risk.

Referring to the urban lifestyle of career-oriented women, he said late marriage and delay in having first child pose greater risk. Obese women were also at high risk. A recent study had correlated high per capita fat consumption to increased incidence of breast cancer in advanced nations, he noted. Regular exercise, consumption of low fat diet and weight control would decrease the risk.

Dr. Vamsy expressed concern that more number of women below 40 years were coming for treatment to the institute. About 70 per cent of them belong to the higher economic strata. However, one positive aspect was that most patients were seeking treatment at early stage. Early diagnosis would reduce morbidity and mortality.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail