Alarming numbers: Over 4.54 lakh women in Assam are living with breast cancer

Over 4,54,000 women in Assam are living with breast cancer. In every 1 lakh women, 100 are diagnosed with breast cancer. Every 15 minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, and every 15 minutes, one dies of the tumour. These scary and alarming numbers were shared by Assam’s oncologists at a symposium held in Guwahati on Thursday.

Kamrup Metro District, which includes Guwahati, has the highest number of women living with breast cancer. One in every 32 women in the district has the risk of getting breast cancer.

What is more alarming is the fact that most breast cancer patients seek treatment during the advanced stage when treatment is not possible.

Experts said social stigma and lack of awareness are the reasons behind such cases.

To understand the statistics more clearly, a symposium titled ‘Let’s talk about breast cancer’ was organised at Cotton University today.

The symposium was organised under the Breast Cancer Profiling and Awareness Programme and funded by State Innovation and Transformation Aayog, or SITA. It was organized by the State Cancer Institute (GMC).

Dr. NK Kalita, a senior oncologist, said that maintaining body weight, avoiding junk food, and regular exercise are some of the aspects that can keep breast cancer at bay.

Mentioning that 80% of patients come at the advanced stage, Dr. Kalita said, “At the advanced stage, surgery is not possible and radiation doesn’t work. It can spread to the brain, lung, and liver. The only option left is chemotherapy, but only one treatment does not help,” he added.

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