The stress breast cancer puts on a patient is huge. Hence it is important for all to be aware of this disease and know that early detection is key to getting free from it.

"If the people in the media (showbiz), particularly some eminent personalities come forward to  create breast cancer awareness in their own artistic way, it could  help create that awareness in a big way," popular playback singer Anuradha Sriram said here on Monday after inaugurating Gem Breast Centre. 

Dr.Praveen Raj, the Managing Director of Gem Hospital shared that Gem Hospitals group launched Gem Cancer Centre as the city's first stand-alone cancer care hospital 3 months ago and it has bow opened a dedicated breast centre that deals with prevention, diagnosis, treatment, recovery of breast cancer and all breast related health issues. 

At Gem Breast Centre , the primary intention is to prevent cancer through early detection protocols that included mammogram tests for women over 40. The centre runs cancer prevention programs where a series of tests could detect pre-cancer stage. This greatly helps in preventing the risk from maturing to cancer stage. 

Dr. Prema, Radiologist and Breast Consultant, shared that the chances to completely cure breast cancer is significantly higher when it is detected in early stages. Treatment becomes simpler when an issue in a patient is detected at pre-cancerous stage. The cure rate too is higher.  Women usually hesitate to go to hospitals  for any kind of check-ups thinking that the time involved in check-ups would be a lot, and fearing that their regular work would be affected.

Some hesitate to consult doctors due to fear, some hesitate to even speak about their issues with their family. Actions like this make the disease like Breast Cancer advance to matured stages.  Hence we as a society/community should help drop the stigma surrounding breast cancer. Not just women, families and the men should know about breast cancer and they should speak about it.

A women with risk factors may not become affected with breast cancer; likewise a woman without risk factors may become affected by it. We may never know. This is why we emphasize that regular (annual) screening is important.  Here at Gem Cancer Centre, they have integrated the consultation and scan process, so that they can immediately go for scanning after meeting the doctor, get the results and have the consultation faster.

The Karupu Than Enaku Pidicha Color-ru singer joined the conversation and opined that serious topics like breast cancer and awareness may reach a wider audience if it is conveyed by personalities in the showbiz in their own creative, artistic way.  She welcomed a few to come forward.

Dr.Praveen Raj said that Gem Cancer Centre is offering free mammogram check up to deserving women, and already 400 women have registered.  He shared that the hospital has tied up with Coimbatore Police to offer mammogram to all women cops above 40 years of age. "We are discussing whether we could do 1000 free mammogram tests via Gem foundation in the next 6 months," he opined.

"Our aim is to create more awareness so that we get more patients for checkups than for treatment. If 2 patients come for treatment 100 should come for checkup. We are working to make that become a reality," he added.