Breast cancer now hits younger women

Sujata Dutta Sachdeva / TNN / May 13, 2007, 00:47 IST

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It's the leading cause of cancer-related death among young women.

NEW DELHI: Mamta Sinha lived life on her own terms. At 37, she had everything going for her. An entrepreneur, she was the MD of two companies and chairperson of two others. But life took an unexpected turn three years ago. "One day while working in office, I felt a strange sensation in my breast. A few lab tests later, doctors confirmed breast cancer in stage 4," says Mamta. Not only was it diagnosed late, the disease had spread considerably in her body. Now, 40 cycles of chemotherapy later, Mamta is still fighting the disease. "It has spread to my liver now. Only a miracle can save me," she says. And Mamta is not alone, as the number of young women with breast cancer is rising steadily. Doctors say the disease, which was more rampant among women over 50, is now hitting the younger ones. "Studies show 25% of breast cancers patients worldwide are below 50 years. In urban areas, the figure is as high as 30-35%," says Dr Sameer Kaul, surgical oncologist, Apollo Cancer Institute.In fact, the number of new cases being reported in private hospitals in India is much higher, compared to government hospitals. "As awareness grows, many more women are now coming forward for mammograms. So the number of reported cases too is growing," says Dr Vedant Kabra, surgical oncologist, at Max Healthcare. In fact, it's the leading cause of cancer related death among young women now.

Unfortunately, there are no recorded statistics or clinical studies done exclusively in India. But doctors across hospitals say from their clinical experience that they are seeing younger patients now and its growing. Some are getting as many as three to four new patients every month. Dr Siddarth Sahani, consultant at Artemis Health Institute explains, "Statistically, the incidence of newly diagnosed cases in the West is between 53-57 years. In India, however, it's between 42-46 years." Data published in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology (2005) reaffirms this. "A fair percentage of all new patients are now between 35-40 years," Dr Sahani adds. He feels even though he gets one patient below 40 every three months now, "I expect the numbers to touch one in every three weeks in the near future." What's pushing the numbers is the lifestyle changes especially among urban women. They either don't marry or marry late, and have children even later; in some cases, they also avoid breastfeeding. As Mamta says, "I may have got it because I never married. For there is no family history." Early menstruation could be another trigger. "It results in longer exposure to oestrogen hormones which could trigger the disease," says Dr Kabra. Unfortunately, the younger they are, the more aggressive the disease. "Chances of recurrence are higher as they have a longer life expectancy," says Dr Amit Bhargava, surgical oncologist at Max Healthcare. Therefore, it has to be handled sensitively, both at the physical and emotional level. For women who have not completed their family size, certain chemotherapy can result in premature menopause. "The chances of premature menopause is 20% for a women below 30 years and 10-30% for women between 30-40 years," says Dr Kaul. This can lead to psychosomatic disorders. A study done in Sweden, called ‘Nurses health study', showed that loss of vitality resulted in high degree of psychological distress among women between 25-34 years. Some recent studies have also shown reduced cognitive skills among women who have undergone chemotherapy.What's needed is a positive attitude. Mamta says, "I have not changed my lifestyle at all. But every decision I take now is a conscious one. I still keep long hours and do everything I did before." That's her little tip for survival.sujata.sachdeva@timesgroup.com

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Breast cancer now hits younger women

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