P. D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre organized a special six-day breast cancer examination camp for the women officers of Mumbai Police, coinciding with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The camp, held at the Additional Commissioner’s Office in Byculla from 24th to 30th October 2024, offered a quick, non-invasive method to identify potential abnormalities using the iBreastExam technology. This initiative aimed to create awareness, promote early detection of breast cancer, and ensure the well-being of Mumbai’s policewomen.
Breast cancer was identified as the most common cancer among Indian women, accounting for 25% of all female cancers. The age-adjusted incidence rate was 25.8 per 100,000 women, with a mortality rate of 12.7 per 100,000 women. Alarmingly, the incidence of breast cancer had been rising among younger women, with nearly 36% of breast cancer patients in India being under the age of 50. This trend indicated a growing prevalence of early onset in the population. Unfortunately, 60% of breast cancers were detected in advanced stages of the disease, highlighting the critical need for awareness and early detection.
Mr. Gautam Khanna, CEO of P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, emphasized the significance of the initiative, stating, “At P. D. Hinduja Hospital, we constantly strived to integrate the most advanced healthcare technologies to benefit our community. We laid emphasis on prevention and early detection of diseases. This special camp organized for the women officers of Mumbai Police reflected our commitment to ensuring that those who tirelessly protected Mumbaikars had access to early examination methods for breast cancer.”
Dr. Vinay Deshmane, Consultant – Surgical Oncology at P. D. Hinduja Hospital, remarked, “Early detection of breast cancer dramatically increased the chances of successful treatment. While we recommended every woman above forty years undergo a mammogram at regular intervals based on their personal risk, this was often not possible due to limited access, lifestyle, and awareness issues. Hence, we offered this clinical breast examination and scanning, which helped increase awareness and potentially identified small lumps that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. By providing this examination and scan directly to Mumbai’s policewomen, we hoped to raise awareness among this special group of women so that those with abnormalities could seek medical evaluation and subsequent mammography/investigation at an early stage. This could potentially save the lives of these extraordinary women who defined the spirit of our beloved city.”
This breast cancer examination initiative was part of P. D. Hinduja Hospital’s larger mission to promote health equity by making preventive healthcare available to everyone. The hospital invited women to take advantage of this opportunity for early detection.
