Every eight minutes a woman caves in to breast cancer in India and with 165,000 fresh cases being reported annually, breast cancer has surpassed cervical cancer to become the most seen cancer affecting women in the nation, said prominent breast surgeon Dr P. Raghu Ram.

“Even more alarming is that, when compared to the West where breast cancer presents most often after 50 years, in India, breast cancer presents at least a decade earlier with peak incidence in younger women between 40-50 years. More than 70 per cent present in the advanced stages,” declared Ram, the Director of KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases.

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In his speech at 10th annual Conference of The Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSICON 2022), established by KNR University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor, Dr Karunakar Reddy, Ram told that since breast cancer can’t be prevented, the only way to fight the ailment is through .

The government must concentrate upon establishing much more understanding about the importance of early detection by talking over the “taboo” case surrounding the disease, especially in rural India where more than 70 per cent of the population reside in expansion to simplifying the pan-India execution of the population-based Breast Cancer Screening programme, which is already functional through the National Health Mission, he told.

Ram further said that the Association of Breast Surgeons of India (ABSI) must fiddle a lead role in formulating the concept of breast care nurses, who will play a key role in supporting, comforting and reassuring patients and their families.

“I look forward to ABSI evolving into a truly multidisciplinary organisation with integration of breast radiologists and breast pathologists in its fold, who are, in fact, the eyes and ears to a breast surgeon,” he affirmed.

The ABSI embodies general surgeons, surgical oncologists and plastic surgeons and has shortly emerged to come to be the voice for surgeons all over India exercising the art and science of breast surgery.

ABSI for the very first time is working together with The Association of Breast Surgery in the UK (ABS UK), and the Breast Imaging Society of India (BISI), which represents radiologists.

Ram, who is Chairman of Organising Committee for ABSICON 2022, revealed that a conscious effort has been made to bring jointly three Associations under one platform to highlight the significance of multidisciplinary care in assessment and management of breast cancer.

ABSI President Dr S.P. Somashekhar applauded Ram for his outstanding leadership role in nurturing ABSI since its advent.

“Most breast cancer surgeries in the country are done by general surgeons. I am proud of the various initiatives implemented by the Association to improve the knowledge and skill sets of Surgeons, particularly in smaller towns across India through the implementation of ABSI Training Module in addition to funding bright young surgeons to train at world renowned centres of excellence in the UK.”

Dr Karunakar Reddy expressed he was glad to note that the three-day conference will contemplate the best evidence based practice approaches covering every element of breast cancer care, advocacy, early detection and benign non cancer associated breast health problems as well.

(inputs from IANS)