One out of six Indians are likely to die of cancer in the next 20 years. Forty per cent of these will be women. And most of those will be cases of breast and cervical cancer. We assure you, knowing about the disease is the only way of surviving it

Facts must replace myths and knowledge must dispel ignorance. The only way you can beat women-specific cancers like breast, ovarian and cervical cancer is to understand and detect them before they become life-threatening.

“When I heard my doctor tell me that I’ve got cancer, I never knew how much my life would change,” says Devika Bhojwani, Vice President, Women’s Cancer Initiative, a foundation set up in partnership with Tata Memorial Hospital.

Having a life-threatening illness like cancer can be traumatic and emotionally demanding. Once diagnosed with breast cancer, a woman’s life changes dramatically in more ways than one. She needs a lot of reassurance and emotional support. It’s also important to realise that diseases like breast cancer are not just a woman’s issue; they impact brothers, fathers, husbands and children of the women who battle it.

Who Is At Risk?
Anyone. Most women think it won’t happen to them. It’s important to know that it could very well happen to you!

The best way to defeat cancer is to detect it early. Early detection of breast cancer has a cure rate of 90 per cent. Regular mammograms or breast exams greatly reduce the risk of dying from the disease.

The exact causes of breast cancer are not known. But studies show that the risks increase with age and hormonal changes.

You are at risk if:
• You have a personal history of cancer in one breast.
• You have a family history of breast cancer involving your mother, grandmother, maternal aunts or sisters.
• An early onset of periods (before age 12).
• Late menopause (after age 55).
• Your first child is born after you turn 30.
• You breastfeed your children for less than six months.
•You have more than three drinks a week and eat food rich in animal fat.
•You are obese.

However, studies have shown that half the women diagnosed with breast cancer had none of these risk factors and many who do have these risk factors don’t end up with breast cancer.

Know More
Women’s Cancer Initiative and Tata Memorial Hospital have come together to form Savera, a foundation that has organised a series of events to create more awareness about the disease. If you want to know more about cancers that affect women, visit a public meet on October 10, 2003 at KC College, Churchgate, Mumbai, where a panel of international cancer professionals and oncologists will be available to all those seeking answers on breast cancer.

There is also a Live Surgery Workshop on Breast Reconstruction and Conservation on October 11 and 12, 2003 at the Tata Memorial Hospital. The international panel of oncologists will demonstrate to 200 surgeons from all over India the latest techniques of breast reconstructive surgery.