Breast cancer curable if diagnosed early: Dr Ajit
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, October 16 2022: Breast cancer is a completely curable disease if treated early but public awareness on this disease is very much required, stated senior consultant of breast and thyroid clinic of Shija hospital Dr Ajit Lukram.

In an inclusive interview, Dr Ajit Lukram told The People's Chronicle that the entire October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month every year throughout the globe.

Just as in other parts of the globe, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is being observed in Manipur with various programmes.

As part of the observance, Shija hospital provides free cancer screening and conducts X-ray, mammography, investigation and operation at subsidised rate while patients who attend health camps conducted during the observance period are given medical facilities at subsidised rates, he added.

According to Dr Ajit Lukram, breast cancer is 100 percent curable if detected early and given necessary treatment in time.

To reduce gap between patients and treatment facilities, this year's Breast Cancer Awareness Month is being observed under the theme 'Close the care gap' .

The main objective behind choosing this year's theme is to address inconvenience faced by patients living at hills and far flung places in accessing treatment facilities.

The theme implies that patients should be provided with necessary treatment facilities irrespective of transportation problem, social stigma, lack of support from family members and socio-economic & cultural gaps.

According to Ajit Lukram, women between the age of 40 and 75 years should go for X-ray and mammography screening every three years while girls should start doing self-breast examination every month after attaining 16 years of age.

Dr Ajit, who is a fellow of North Cumbria University Hospital, United Kingdom, further said that getting cured of the disease depends on the stage of the disease when the treatment begins.

He also cautioned that breast cancer prevalence rate in the state has been on the rise with lack of awareness and reluctance to get treatment at the early stages some of the main factors.

One of the easiest ways for early diagnosis is self-examination of breast from the age of 16 years onwards and regular X-ray and mammography tests from 30 years onwards, he explained and stressed the need for conducting more awareness on breast cancer and its treatment at early stage.

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