1. Breast
Cancer in
India
Narjis Sayeed

2. Breast cancer is a major health
problem worldwide
 According to WHO:
A woman dies of breast cancer
somewhere in the world every minute;
Breast cancer is the most common
malignancy among women worldwide;
Breast cancer is thought to be due to
genetic, lifestyle, and environmental
causes; the latter two are subject to
change.

3. Stages of Breast Cancer
 Stage 0: Non-invasive breast cancer, no indication of the
cancer or cancerous cells breaking out from origin point
 Stage 1: Invasive breast cancer, the cancerous cells are
breaking through to or invading surrounding normal
tissue
 Stage 2: 2a No tumor but there are cancerous cells in the
lymph nodes, or there is a tumor that has grown.
 Stage 2: 2b Cancerous cells in the lymph nodes and /or
tumor has grown.
 Stage 3: Cancer has spread to lymph nodes near
breastbone and chest wall
 Stage 4: Cancer has spread (metastasized) to other parts
of the body.

4. Facts
 Incidence of breast cancer in India has
increased among women in their 30s and 40s
compared to older women, and they are
being diagnosed at later stages
 Cancer has become more aggressive in
younger woman than older woman,
advancing through the stages faster.
 Breast cancer cases have been increasing in
India in the past decade, due to increase of
urbanization.
 Risk increases as a woman has her first child
after turning 30.

5. Incident of breast cancer in India
 According to the Times of India, as of last year
the rate of breast cancer in India was 11.1 (per
100,000 for age standardized mortality rate), and
the number of deaths was 53,592.
 Incident number of breast cancer rates in 2001
and 2016 national levels respectively: 89,914
140,975

6. Breast Cancer in Andhra Pradesh
 Breast cancer is the most common type of
cancer in many cities and the second most
common in rural areas.
 Andhra Pradesh was the fifth highest state
with deaths due to breast cancer, with
3863 deaths in the year 2010.
 Rates of young women being diagnosed is
increasing in Andhra Pradesh

7. Trend of Breast Cancer among
different age groups in India in 2008
and 25 years back

8. Breast Cancer in India is considered to
be a “Western Disease”
 “Women in high-income countries like the
United States and the United Kingdom are
benefiting from early cancer screenings, drug
therapies, and vaccines,” said Dr. Rafael
Lozano, Professor of Global Health at IHME
[Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation]
and one of the co-authors of the Lancet study,
“We are seeing the burden of breast and
cervical cancer shifting to low-income
countries in Africa and Asia. This is the one of
the early signs of the emerging threat of non
communicable diseases in these countries.”

9. Some steps have been taken
 Statewide Breast Cancer
Awareness Month to promote
screening
 Breast Cancer screening
initiative: 5000 health
workers trained by the State
of Andhra Pradesh to perform
clinical breast examinations
 Breast Cancer screening
program in Gandhi Medical
Hospital/College, Hyderabad,
AP, began in April 2006 and
ended on February 2007

10. Gandhi Medical Hospital/College Program
 Biggest government hospital in state of Andhra Pradesh
 Breast Cancer Screening Program in the Women’s Clinic
from April 2006 to February 2007
 Hospital and clinic staff were trained according to WHO
guidelines
 Conducted screenings and awareness programs in the
hospital and clinics of the hospital
 All women who came to the Women’s Clinic were
screened; screenings were not conducted in other areas
of hospital or clinics;
 171 completed screenings were considered adequate
 Of these, 26 showed malignancy, according to the
findings of this program.

11. Policy Proposal
 As of 2011 there are no policies regarding
breast cancer.
 I propose three policy action changes:
1. Doctors are required to inform their female patients
about the option and need of breast cancer
screening.
2. Data concerning breast cancer diagnoses and
screening should be collected for current and future
use.
3. A certain amount of health care funding will be used
for education programs and breast cancer
screening; and financial support will be provided to
those unable to have a breast screening done.

12. Policy Paramours in the House of
the People
 Shri Sukender Reddy Gutha- for
providing better health care for people
in rural areas.
 Shri Madhu Goud Yaskhi- founded the
Madhu Yaskhi foundation, part of
which is providing funding to private
health care facilities in rural areas.
 Smt. Meira Kumar - held a position on
the committee for education and
health programs for women.

13. Policy Paramours in the Council of
States
 Shri Raashid Alvi (Member of
Parliament)- for equitable access to
health services
 Shri Y.S. Chowdary (Member of
Parliament)- Rise in cases of diseases
afflicting the young female population,
breast cancer included.
 Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy (Member of
Parliament)- investment in health
education

14. Stakeholders
 Government of  Cancer foundation
Andhra Pradesh of India
 Family, Welfare,  CPAA (Cancer
Health department Patients Aid
of Hyderabad Association)
 World Health  Passages
Organization  Ushalakshmi
Breast Cancer
Foundation

15. Reference
 ChartsBin,com, viewed on 25th September, 2011, http://chartbin.com/view/252
 Breastcancerindia.net
 India.gov.in
 Shrivastav, Snehlata. "Spike in Cancer Cases Alarms Experts - Times Of
India." Featured Articles From The Times Of India. 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 21 Sept.
2011. <http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-
16/nagpur/30165128_1_cancer-registries-cervical-cancer-breast-cancer>.
 Shukla, Shobha. "Cervical and Breast Cancers: Killers On The Prowl | Scoop
News." Scoop - New Zealand News. 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Sept. 2011.
<http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1109/S00142/cervical-and-breast-cancers-
killers-on-the-prowl.htm>.
 Murthy, NS, Kishore Chaudhry, and GK Rath. "Burden of Cancer and Projections for
2016, Indian Scenario: Gaps in the Availability of Radiotherapy Treatment
Facilitie." Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 9 (2008): 671-77. Web.
 http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/diagnosis/staging.jsp
 ORAL, BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCERS SCREENING IN GANDHI MEDICAL
COLLEGE/HOSPITAL SECUNDERABAD. Rep. Hyderabad, 2007. World Health
Orginazation. Web.
<http://http://www.whoindia.org/LinkFiles/Cancer_report_hyderabad.pdf>