Women teachers have a great role in early detection of breast-cancer among adolescent girls especially those in rural areas, said the Managing Trustee of Gandhigram Trust and Hospital, Dindigul, R. Kousalya Devi.
Speaking at the ‘Breast cancer awareness and survivors meet’ organised by Dr. K. Shantha Breast Cancer Foundation, here on Saturday, Dr. Kousalya Devi expressed concern over the lack of awareness among the rural girls about the symptoms of the disease which was curable if detected early.
Delayed detection
Though girls and women in both urban and rural areas were affected by the disease, the stage of detection was seriously delayed in rural areas.
She said that women and mothers should be sensitised to the symptoms of the disease and doctors should ensure that every woman aged above 40 years was screened for both breast and cervical cancer.
Ensure prevention
Being a hereditary phenomenon, mothers who had been afflicted with the breast cancer, should be doubly careful in ensuring its prevention among their daughters, she said.
Mothers should shun their inhibition in ensuring prompt treatment of their daughters with symptoms of the disease.
Any hesitation on the part of the girls and carelessness on the part of parents would result in the breast cancer developing into an advanced stage, she warned.
She also highlighted the telemedicine facility available at Gandhigram linked to the Cancer Institute in Adayar.
The link facilitated screening and prompt follow-up treatment.
Breast self examination, clinical breast examination and mammography screening were some of the screening techniques, she added.
100 awareness camps
The Trustee of the Foundation, K. Govindaraj, said that the Foundation had so far organised about 100 awareness camps on breast cancer in several villages in the Tiruchi region since its inception.
Women members of self-help groups and school girls were being sensitised to the symptoms of the disease, with a focus on its early detection.
The Secretary of the Foundation, K. N. Srinivasan said that a persistent lump or thickening in the breast; a phenomenal change in the size or shape of the breast; a dimpling or puckering of the skin were some of the common symptoms.
The president of Tiruchi branch of Indian Medical Association, M. S. Ashraf; the Chairman of Nursing Home Board of IMA, Tamil Nadu State Branch of Indian Medical Association, A. Zameer Pasha and consultant Xavier spoke.
