HCG launched free breast screening programme for all the Paurakarmikas of BBMP and women officers with Karnataka Police
HCG – The Specialist in Cancer Care launched their initiative called ‘Love Your Breast or Lose Your Breast’ along with the Bengaluru city police and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to spread awareness on early diagnosis of cancer and the environmental hazards of garbage dumps with the launch of free breast screening programme by HCG for all the Paurakarmikas of BBMP and also for the women officers with Karnataka Police.
Breast cancer awareness month is an annual international health campaign observed every October to increase awareness of the disease and helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), one out of 22 urban Indian women is at the risk of developing breast cancer. As per Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR), about 27.3 per cent cases of breast cancer are registered every year in Bengaluru. Research also shows that there are about 36.6 new cases of breast cancer in Bengaluru for every one lakh population.
Research has been reported to understand possible environmental influences on breast cancer risk as Phthalates, a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals which is commonly used to render plastics soft and flexible, when exposed increases the chance of breast cancer. Exposure to phthalates has been associated with a number of adverse health outcomes amongst men and women. Few studies have, however, investigated the health effects of these widely used chemicals in women.
Present at the conference, Dr Nalini Rao, Consultant, Radiation Oncology said, “There have been comprehensive reports on environmental exposures linked to increased breast cancer risk. One such group of compounds is known as Phthalates and is used in a wide variety of common products including plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, baby care products, cleaning materials and insecticides. Phthalates are classified as ‘endocrine disruptors’ and have been significantly linked to breast cancer in premenopausal women. They have also been linked birth defects, asthma, neurodevelopmental problems in newborns, fertility issues and obesity.”
Manjunath Reddy, Mayor, BBMP said, “I feel that the environmental factors have been largely ignored all these years as a possible risk factor for breast cancer and there could be complex reasons for it. I would like to urge both urban and rural communities to come together to share this awareness on the burden of exposure to toxic materials and lead a quality life.”
Breast cancer survivor, Vandana Ramnane said, “I think it’s high time that the risk factors for breast cancer on environmental hazards should be taken seriously, and I urge everyone to get tested at the right time.”
Along with the screening programme, HCG also created ground activation across Garuda Mall, Gopalan Mall (Bannerghatta Road) and Elements Mall (Nagavara Junction) surrounding the breast cancer awareness campaign called – ‘Myth Busters’. During the activation, participants are invited to bursts balloons, which exposes myths surrounding breast cancer. Those who burst the most number of balloons were given the chance of winning free goodies and get a free breast cancer screening coupon.