Many of us must be already aware that every year, the month of October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month that is dedicated to create awareness on cancer as a public health issue and to strengthen actions towards improving access to quality care screening, early detection, treatment and palliative care. Rapid Global Cancer Alliance uses the month to remind policymakers and healthcare providers to build a good environment and infrastructure for early detection and effective treatment of the disease.

According to WHO, in 2020, more than two million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and nearly 0.7 million deaths were reported globally.  Breast Cancer has now surpassed lung cancer as the leading cause of global cancer incidence in 2020, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases, representing 11.7% of all cancer cases.

In India, the incidence has increased significantly, almost by 50%, between 1965 and 1985. In terms of mortality, 37.2 per cent of women died from this disease in India in 2020. The mortality rate in India is higher than the Asian rate of 34 per cent. High mortality rates with breast cancer in India could be related to late diagnosis, which is primarily due to lack of proper awareness and the absence of screening for the at-risk population.

The good news is that Breast Cancer is curable if detected early but due to various underlying factors, there is a mis management of cases leading to premature deaths and fatality. Owing to the lack of awareness on the symptoms and proper disease and in absence of a breast cancer screening program, the majority of breast cancers are diagnosed at a relatively advanced stage. Hence the month of October witnesses a host of discussions and sessions to enable people to get access to reliable and trustworthy information on cancer by the Rapid Global Cancer Alliance.

More often than not rural parts of the country do not have the necessary infrastructure to support screening and diagnosis. A Shortage of resources and skewed distribution of available limited resources is a major deterrent in treatment   of breast cancer and needs to be addressed in a holistic manner.  Apart from generating awareness on breast cancer, the stigma and social embarrassment associated with the disease is also tackled through our shows like stars not scars where survivors and patients talk about their inspiring journeys.

The month of October as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month is utilized by the Rapid Global Cancer Alliance to create a knowledge sharing platform for the best interest of the patients and also other ai risk population. The IHW Council is steadfastly committed in hosting an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer and show support for everyone affected by the disease.

Enhancing timely access to medical care from pre-diagnosis through all phases before major health complications develop

Support individualized assistance offered to patients, families, and caregivers to help overcome health system barriers