Organized ‘Catch it Early’, a pink-themed mela aimed at demystifying breast cancer
Bengaluru, October 22, 2017 : Gleneagles Hospitals, a part of Parkway Pantai, today organized a breast cancer awareness mela in association with NA Haris Foundation and Citizen Welfare Association of Richmond and Langford town at Richmond Park, Bangalore.
catch it early
A free public event, ‘Catch It Early’ was hosted to promote early detection of breast cancer through self-examination and regular screenings. The program was inaugurated by Sri NA Haris, MLA of Shanthinagar, and Thomas Mathew, COO, Gleneagles Hospitals, Bengaluru. This event was organized with a self-examination tutorial, coffee with cancer survivors, part of the breast cancer survivor program ‘Sthree’, and other activities to engage the whole family. Mr Bhaskar Chavda, Founder & CEO of MyOfficeCab – an environmentally friendly social impact startup attended as a Guest of honour and expressed his support of the event. President of the local Citizens Welfare Assocation, Mr Edgar Britto and the Local Corporator Mr Dwarkanath also addressed the audience and pledged their support for the local community.
Speaking on the occasion Dr. Jayanthi Thumsi, In Charge of Breast Oncology, BGS Gleneagles Hospital said that Breast Cancer Awareness Month provides an opportunity for us all to focus on breast cancer and its impact on those affected by the disease in our community. “Breast cancer is the commonest cancer seen in Indian women. It contributes to 32 % of women related cancers. 1 in 29 women have a life time risk of developing breast cancer in India. Though the magnitude of the disease is high, it is a very treatable disease. Breast cancer is one of the few cancerswhen detected early; the treatment becomes simpler, shorter and cheaper. And more importantly complete cure is possible. At Gleneagles Hospital, our mission is to drive awareness, encourage early detection and provide support services.”
Regular breast cancer screening gives you a better chance of early detection and successful treatment.It is recommended that women above twenty years do breast self-examination once a month. Women above 40 years of age should get a mammogram once a year. It is important to note that knowing what to look for is not a substitute for screening mammograms and other tests like breast MRI, which can help identify breast cancer in its early stages, even before any symptoms appear. When caught early, localized cancers can be removed without resorting to breast removal (mastectomy). Male breast cancer is not uncommon and must be taken seriously too.
Mr Thomas Mathew, COO, Gleneagles Hospitals, Bengaluru said “The biggest challenge facing us is a lack of awareness of breast cancer. If we wish to tackle this, it is essential to detect it early, for which, awareness of symptoms is critical. Women undergoing cancer treatment endure a lot of emotional turmoil as also their loved ones. With an aim of raisingawareness and to provide support, we regularly conduct outreach programs and awareness initiatives.TheGleneagles Hospitals team is committed to the cause of breast cancer awareness and treatment.”
Sthree is a breast cancer survivor connect program from BGS Gleneagles Hospitals Bangalore that brings together individuals diagnosed with breast cancer and those who have undergone treatment and successfully battled the disease. This is a forum for breast cancer patients to draw inspiration from those who have survived the disease.