The ‘Breast Cancer Brigade,’ a project launched by the Kannur-based voluntary organisation Malabar Cancer Care Society (MCCS) aimed at creating cancer awareness and early detection of the disease, has yielded results in its preliminary stage.
It has helped identify 35 suspected cases of the disease and five confirmed ones.
Informing this at a press conference here on Tuesday, MCCS president D. Krishnanadha Pai said that those identified had gone for treatment or taken preventive measures.
From September 2017 to March 2018, the brigade volunteers, including Kudumbasree workers, National Service Scheme volunteers and members of residents associations, visited 88,200 women in different places of this district and parts of Kozhikode, mainly Mukkam panchayat and Kozhikode Corporation. The were identified during the examination of breasts as part of the initiative.
Early symptoms
As many as 1,237 women from rural areas with suspected early symptoms were brought to the camp for further check-up, he said.
Mr. Pai said that after the examination, the MCCS had put 35 women with suspected malignancy under observation and also instructed them about the need for lifestyle management to prevent the disease.
He also said that as the cure rate for breast cancer was over 90% in stage zero, early detection through self-examination could save lives.
The brigade was launched two years ago to train women in self-examination of breasts and early detection programme through mammogram test camps.
The MCCS was now planning to expand the campaign to more areas, Mr. Pai said.
He also informed that a survey conducted by the MCC had brought out that 218 women died of breast cancer in Mattannur municipality and 119 women in Koothuparamba municipality.
More surveys
The survey would be conducted in other places as well, he said adding that in the past two decades, the instances of breast cancer had doubled.
It called for the need to strengthen the measures for early detection and prevention, he noted.
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