Reluctance to see doctor a problem in breast cancer cases

Bengaluru ranks second in India in No. of cases

By Hamsaveni N

Breast cancer is one of the leading cancers in the world. In India, Bengaluru stands second after Chennai in the number of cases, followed by Hyderabad.

According to Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology data, there were 365 men and 14,945 women suffering from breast cancer in Bengaluru in 2021.

Among women in Bengaluru, breast cancer accounts for 29.4 per cent of cancer cases, followed by cervical cancer with 10.8 per cent. Kidwai director C. Ramachandra told The Hindu: “Breast cancer is the most common cancer among females…, its incidence is likely to increase.”

The World Journal of Clinical Oncology (WJCO) published a research paper about the increase in cases in India. Globally, breast cancer cases will reach two million by 2030. Over time, the number of cases has gradually increased in India. There was almost a 50 per cent increase in cases between 1965 and 1985. In 2016, the number of estimated breast cancer cases in India was 1.18 lakh, of which 98.1 per cent were women. In India, breast cancer accounted for 13.5 per cent of cancer cases, and breast cancer deaths accounted for 10.6 per cent of all cancer deaths, according to Globocan 2020, a global cancer statistics dataset.

Swathi, a Bengaluru resident, narrated to The Observer the story of her aunt Shubashini (name changed), who has breast cancer. Shubashini had a small lump in her left breast which she initially neglected, assuming it was a normal bump. When the lump became painful, her family immediately took her to a hospital. Shubashini was shocked when the doctor confirmed she had second-stage breast cancer.

Shubashini is yet to undergo surgery and is under chemotherapy. The medication continues.

Ignorance is one of the most dangerous things surrounding cancer. Most people are unaware of the irregularities in their bodies or the pain they experience at a point of time. This leads to late detection and results in difficult situations. A majority of women are ignorant, Swathi said.

Among the main causes of breast cancer deaths is late de-