A new facility in Hyderabad is being touted as the first in India to provide a ‘one-stop triple assessment’ for detection, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. This treatment is now available at Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences.
This facility is an initiative of the Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation and is not just another oncology care facility; rather it is the country’s first-ever dedicated breast care unit. This facility will provide clinical assessment, breast imaging and biopsy under one roof.
According to Dr. P. Raghuram, Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon and Centre Director, even though one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 6.5 minutes in India and early detection enables survival rates close to 100 per cent, not many come forward for regular screening.â€
Thus, 50% of cases are not detected till an advanced stage. Unlike US and UK, the absence of population-based screening programmes here has led to low awareness even among the elite and educated. As a result, a woman finds the prospect of entering a hospital for routine screening intimidating and tends to procrastinate, thus prevents early detection, Dr. Raghu says.
In fact, The Foundation launched Pink Ribbon initiative in October, international breast cancer awareness month and around 950 women underwent free mammograms in a mobile screening unit.
Dr. Raghu said that six cases of pre-invasive stage were detected and they are as good as cured.