The initiative is aimed at promoting breast self-examination amongst women
Recognised as a leading cause of death amongst women in India, breast cancer is increasing rapidly and there is a high possibility of women under the age of 40 years to be diagnosed with the disease. As an aggressive and higher-grade cancer, it presents rapid proliferation and larger tumours; younger women are susceptible due to various reasons, some linked to urbanisation and sedentary lifestyles. To bridge the knowledge gap on effective cancer diagnosis in a timely manner, Mumbai based NGO Cope with Cancer initiated the #ShootITMovement; aimed at promoting breast self-examination amongst women.
As a public awareness initiative, the movement urges women to practice a very simple and easy 15-minute procedure of self-examination on a monthly basis. Launched through a simple and easy steps-based video that demonstrates the life-saving procedure, the #ShootITMovement focusses on reaching out to women of all age groups. Divided into two parts, the first includes a visual examination of the breasts and the latter a physical examination.
Speaking about the initiative, Dr Anand Parihar, Imaging and Radiology Consultant & Founder, Cope with Cancer said, “More than 60 per cent of women get diagnosed with breast cancer when they reach stage 3-4 of the disease, this can lead to complications in treatment because of the higher grade of the disease. Early diagnosis can lead to better outcomes in such cases. We wanted to inculcate a sense of self-awareness amongst women and to empower them to recognise the risks through the self-examination video and seek early treatment. The #ShootITMovement was thus born, as the first step to beat cancer!”