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ISLAMABAD: Breast cancer accounts for nearly 27% of all female cancers in India, with alarmingly high rates of aggressive triple-negative cases, deepening health inequities amid limited awareness, rural healthcare gaps, and inadequate early detection. A <a href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/GO-25-00083" style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">study</a> published last month in the medical journal JCO Global Oncology states, &ldquo;In India, breast cancer tops the female-centric cancers, representing nearly 27% of all cancers, as one of the most challenging health care maladies.&rdquo; Highest percentages&nbsp;According to the study, &ldquo;The projections and cumulative risk for breast cancer are alarmingly high for India, requiring immediate attention.&rdquo; &ldquo;The proportion of highly aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) ranges from 6.7% to 27.9% in different countries, while some of the highest percentages are reported in India,&rdquo; it adds. Budget of just 2%-3% of GDP&nbsp;The study highlights, &ldquo;with a budget of just 2%-3% of GDP, there are numerous challenges in delivering quality health care, especially in rural sectors that harbor nearly 900 million, or two-thirds of India&#39;s population.&rdquo; It points out that &ldquo;the urban populations are exposed to unhealthy lifestyles and risk factors, the rural populations lack access to quality health care and trained professionals.&rdquo; Cancer burden&nbsp;&ldquo;These urban-rural disparities in sociodemographic, behavioral, and lifestyle-related factors add up to the cancer burden that India is facing now,&rdquo; it says. Highlighting the challenges, the study states, &ldquo;There is a general lack of awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection in India, which is further compounded by insufficient public health campaigns to educate women about self-breast examinations and screening.&rdquo; Conservative norms, patriarchal setup&nbsp;The study points to conservative social norms and a predominantly patriarchal setup as among the factors posing a challenge. &ldquo;Conservative social norms often make women&#39;s health a taboo subject.&rdquo; &ldquo;In a patriarchal rural setup, women&#39;s health is usually not prioritized, and they often lack the autonomy to seek medical care without previous consent from male family members,&rdquo; the study underlines.

India

A study published last month in the medical journal JCO Global Oncology states, 'In India, breast cancer tops the female-centric cancers, representing nearly 27% of all cancers, as one of the most challenging health care maladies.'

Articles tagged with "Indian women"

Breast cancer emerges as India’s leading women’s health crisis: study

Breast cancer emerges as India’s leading women’s health crisis: study