51% of global breast cancer cases in developing nations

Kounteya Sinha TNN
 

New Delhi: Breast cancer cases are surging across the globe. Analysis shows the number of new breast cancer cases diagnosed worldwide has increased from about 6.4 lakhs in 1980 to 16 lakhs in 2010.
    But, the rise in deaths from breast cancer globally has been slower, increasing from about 2.5 lakhs in 1980 to 4.25 lakhs in 2010, possibly due to early detection and advances in treatment in developed countries. The study, published in the British medical journal ‘The Lancet’ on Thursday, says that 51% of these cases occurred in developing countries like India.
    The disease still killed two lakh women around the world in 2010 — and 46,000 of them were of reproductive age in developing countries. A recent Indian Council of Medical Research report found that cancer cases in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore between 1982 and 2005 had doubled.
    Dr Vinod Raina from AIIMS said, “Western lifestyle, increased consumption of fat products, late marriages, delayed child bearing and less number of children conceived, leading to reduced breastfeeding and use of some contraceptives, are all behind this increased risk. This cancer is also inevitable with an ageing population.”