More than million breast cancer cases

More than one million women will suffer from breast cancer in India in the next few years and women should be equipped to face the disease, say support groups.

This is the main goal of the four-day third Asia-Pacific Reach to Recovery International Breast Conference Support Conference inaugurated here yesterday.

Its objective is to bring home the truth that breast cancer is one of the cancers with the best cure rates, provided it is detected early.

The conference theme is "jagruti", which indicates a perpetual flame. "Today, we are witnessing an alarming number of younger women diagnosed with this disease," said Ranjit Kaur, president of the Reach to Recovery International, at the inaugural session.

A majority of these women are in the prime of their lives juggling the roles of working women, mothers and wives, she said. Breast cancer can dislocate a woman's place in society, threatening her self-esteem and status in life. Often, women are reduced to accepting lower salaries and reduced career opportunities.

"While the psychosocial support offered by women with similar experiences is crucial, I believe it's time to adopt a proactive approach which means looking beyond individual needs towards new ways of collaborating with authorities to ensure women with breast cancer lead a life of dignity and social inclusion."

This would mean working with other breast cancer support groups at a national level, she says. Not just breast cancer, but cancer in general needs a more forceful campaign of awareness, prevention and control since the disease in the developing world is a disaster waiting to happen. By 2020, 70 per cent of cancer deaths will be in the developing countries, experts say.