Bangalore: India’s breast capital
Bangalore is now the breast cancer capital of the country. Hyderabad and Pune could soon follow, both being IT cities. According to Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) report 2013, Bangalore tops the chart with 36.6 new cases for every one lakh population having the disease. And it’s all to do with lifestyle, say doctors.
Thiruvananthapuram has the second highest incidence with 35.1 cases per lakh and Chennai is third highest with 32.6 cases. Incidentally, Pune has the least number of cases (23.3 per lakh) of the 11cities from where the data was compiled.
Dr K S Gopinath, senior consultant, surgical oncologist, HCG, Bangalore, says, “Due to urbanization, the lifestyle of people has changed by 180 degrees and the effect is visible. While the normal age of contracting breast cancer was anywhere between 45 and 55 years a decade ago, it has plunged to 35-45. We see girls as young as 18 years with breast cancer.”
Dr Jayanthi Thumsi, senior consultant, breast oncosurgeon, BGS Global Hospital, agrees. “Breast cancer can also be termed a lifestyle disease,” says Dr Jayanthi. “Late marriage, fewer children and declining trend of breastfeeding are some causative factors, and all these are related to urbanization. According to scientific studies, breastfeeding and pregnancy keep breast cancer at bay. Obesity, which is related to lifestyle, is another cause.”
One reason which all experts believe is the easy availability of contraceptive pills. “Since all contraceptive pills are hormonal pills, they should be taken under the guidance of a doctor,” says Dr Jayanthi. “But women in a metropolitan city like Bangalore simply pop these pills.”
Changing food habits and lifestyle in cities such as Bangalore, according to experts, have also increased the reproductive period in women’s lifetime, making them more exposed to reproductive hormones and, thus, breast cancer. “The age of menstruation has come down and that of menopause has gone up, stretching the reproductive period,” says Dr Neelesh Reddy, consultant medical oncologist, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwantpur.
11- City data: New breast cancer cases per lakh (Source: PBCR data)
Bangalore – 36.6
Thiruvananthapuram – 35.1
Chennai – 32.6
Nagpur – 32.5
Delhi – 32.2
Mumbai – 31
Ahmedabad – 27.5
Bhopal- 27.4
Kolkata – 26.1
Kollam – 25.8
Pune – 23.3
What causes breast cancer?
Late marriage, fewer children and thus pregnancy, avoiding breast-feeding, contraceptive pills, food habits, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, smoking and hereditary factors
Have regular check-ups
Experts say breast cancer is curable if detected early. Moreover, if you have a family history of the disease, you need to be extra cautious. “If your mother or grandmother had breast cancer, the chance of you getting it is one out of 10, which would have been only one out of 20 if there was no family history,” says Dr K S Gopinath, senior consultant, surgical oncologist, HCG. “So get yourself checked from the age of 20.”
Dr. Ajay Sati.
