Breast Cancer Screening
Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer is the most common cancer for women in India, and according to The Indian Council for Medical Research, breast cancer accounted for 13.5% of all total cancer diagnoses in 2020.
Breast cancer can be detected in earlier stages through screening mammography; however, many women in India lack access to screening, and most of them only find out in much later stages.
What is a Mammogram?
A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast.
Mammograms can be used to check for breast cancer in women who have no signs or symptoms of the disease. This type of mammogram is called a screening mammogram.
The x-ray images often make it possible to detect tumors that cannot be felt.
The biggest benefit of having access to screening mammograms is that treatment can be started at a much earlier stage in the disease, possibly before it spreads.
However, in India, women do not have adequate access to screening mammography. This is due to the high costs of screening, which can range from 4,000-8,000 INR per mammogram.
Breast cancer screening can save lives
We hope to provide women access to free breast cancer screening via screening mammography. In November 2023, we plan to organize a breast cancer screening camp in Punjab. This will increase awareness, reducing the stigma associated with diagnoses and treatment of breast cancer.
Most international oncology societies, such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology, endorse that screening mammograms be commenced in women older than 40 years of age.