Meera, a 42-year-old school teacher, recently went for her first routine mammogram. She felt perfectly healthy and had no lumps in her breast. The scan, however, revealed a tiny lesion too small to be felt by hand. A biopsy confirmed early-stage breast cancer. Though shattered at first, Meera underwent a surgery and radiation and was declared cancer-free within months. Grateful to her doctor, she said, “I never imagined that something could grow silently inside me. One simple test, suggested casually by a colleague, saved my life.” This story highlights how early cancer detection can truly save lives.
Breast cancer screening
In India, current recommendations suggest that women at average risk begin annual mammography screening at the age of 40 and continue until 70, alongside monthly self-breast exams and yearly clinical examinations by a doctor. Women at high risk, such as those with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, should be offered BRCA gene mutation testing through a simple blood test.
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