Women in India diagnosed with breast cancer at younger age, but at more advanced stages

The earlier breast cancer is detected, the higher is your chances of survival. Women, especially those who are 40 to 49 years old, should talk to their doctor about when to start and how often to get a mammogram.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Updated: October 26, 2020 3:28 pm

Being a woman and getting older are the main factors that influence your breast cancer risk. © Shutterstock

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. However, almost half of the total cases and nearly 60% of deaths occur in less developed countries. Breast cancer is also the most prevalent cancer among Indian women, accounting for 14% of all cancers in women. It is estimated that one woman gets diagnosed with breast cancer every 4 minutes in India and one woman dies of it every 13 minutes. Also Read - Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Why chemotherapy causes weight gain?

Although breast cancer is more common in women who have reached the age of 50, it can strike at any age. In fact, a new study has revealed that Indian and Pakistani women are generally diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age and at more advanced stages of the disease. Also Read - COVID-19 pandemic leading to rise in breast cancer cases: Here’s how?

Ramesh Sarin, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, also noted in a recent report that Indian women get breast cancer 10 years earlier than those in the West. Also Read - Breast Cancer Awareness month: Novel testing platform designed for breast cancer cells

Breast cancer in Indian and Pakistani women

A team of researchers, including an Indian origin, examined the characteristics, treatment and survival data of breast cancer in Indian- and Pakistani-American and non-Hispanic white women in the US. Here are some of the key findings of the study published in the International Journal of Cancer:

The occurrence of breast cancer higher in non-Hispanic white women than in Indian and Pakistani women.
More Indian and Pakistani women diagnosed with breast cancer over the years.
Indian and Pakistani women more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age and at more advanced stages of the disease.
Indian and Pakistani women less likely to die of breast cancer than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. (Mention may be made here that their health was tracked for a shorter time).

Prior research has shown poor mammogram screening rates in Indian and Pakistani women due to several socio-cultural factors.

Women delaying breast cancer screening due to fear of COVID-19

Finding breast cancer early can improve outcomes and survival, but many women are delaying their screening and visit to physicians due to the fear of contracting COVID-19, said a report from the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi.

The hospital cited this reason for an increase in late-stage two and three cancer cases in the month of August-September. Due to delay in screening, their cancer progressed in the past six months from a treatable stage one phase to a complex life-threatening stage three, said Ramesh Sarin, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

In India, around 70,000 women succumb to breast cancer due to delay in detection and treatment. According to research, nearly 50 percent of breast cancer patients first visit the doctor when they are in stage 3, and 15-20% of patients visit when they are in phase 4.

Stage 3 and 4 are considered advanced, and these are harder to fight. Stage 4 means the breast cancer cells have spread far away from the breast and lymph nodes to the bones, lungs, liver, or brain. This stage is known as “metastatic” to describe that it has spread beyond the region of the body where it was first found.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the five-year survival rate after diagnosis for people with stage 4 breast cancer is 22 percent. At stage 3, the five-year relative survival rate is 72 percent and at stage 2, it’s over 90 percent. This means lower the stage, the better the chances of living longer.

Women, especially those who are 40 to 49 years old, should talk to their doctor about when to start and how often to get a mammogram.

Published : October 26, 2020 3:18 pm | Updated:October 26, 2020 3:28 pm

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