We've noticed that you're using an ad blocker

Our content is brought to you free of charge because of the support of our advertisers. To continue enjoying our content, please turn off your ad blocker.

It's off now Dismiss How do I disable my ad blocker?
❌

How to disable your ad blocker for our site:

Adblock / Adblock Plus
  • Click on the AdBlock / AdBlock Plus icon on the top right of your browser.
  • Click “Don’t run on pages on this domain.” OR “Enabled on this site.”
  • Close this help box and click "It's off now".
Firefox Tracking Prevention
  • If you are Private Browsing in Firefox, "Tracking Protection" may casue the adblock notice to show. It can be temporarily disabled by clicking the "shield" icon in the address bar.
  • Close this help box and click "It's off now".
Ghostery
  • Click the Ghostery icon on your browser.
  • In Ghostery versions < 6.0 click “Whitelist site.” in version 6.0 click “Trust site.”
  • Close this help box and click "It's off now".
uBlock / uBlock Origin
  • Click the uBlock / uBlock Origin icon on your browser.
  • Click the “power” button in the menu that appears to whitelist the current website
  • Close this help box and click "It's off now".
  • ONCOLOGY
  • News
  • Blogs
  • Topics
  • Hematology
  • Image IQ
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Slideshows
  • Conferences

Modern Medicine Network
  • Login
  • Register
Skip to main content
Modern Medicine Network
  • Login
  • Register
Menu
User
Home
  • ONCOLOGY
  • News
  • Blogs
  • Topics
  • Hematology
  • Image IQ
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Slideshows
  • Conferences

SUBSCRIBE: Print / eNewsletter

Low-Tech Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Studied in India

Sep 1, 2000
Volume: 
9
  • Gynecologic Cancers, Cervical Cancer

NEW YORK—A randomized trial enrolling 150,000 women and funded
by the US National Cancer Institute is underway in India to screen
for breast and cervical cancer using simple methods.

“Mammography is a very fine tool, but most of the developing
world cannot afford mammography, so we have to devise simple
techniques,” said Indraneel Mittra, MBBS, PhD, professor of
medicine and chief of the Surgical Breast Service, Tata Memorial
Hospital, Bombay. He spoke at the International Breast Cancer
Roundtable, sponsored by the American-Italian Cancer Foundation and
the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Instead, the Indian trial depends on physical examinations performed
by trained health workers. “These are women educated to the
level of high school,” Professor Mittra said. “You
can’t have doctors go out into the community and examine
thousands of women.”

The health workers provide instruction in cancer awareness along with
printed materials to all women in the study. For the control group,
this is the only intervention. Clinical breast examinations are
performed on those in the study group, and the health workers teach
them breast self-examination.

The health workers also screen all women randomized to the study
group for cervical cancer. “We’re not using the Pap
smear,” he said. “The Pap smear sounds simple, but it
requires many trained technicians and cytopathologists.”
Instead, the health workers do a visual inspection of the cervix
after applying a 4% acetic acid solution.

In this study, four rounds of screening intervention will be given
every 18 months. The final endpoint is a reduction in mortality from
breast and cervical cancer.

The incidence of breast cancer is rising in every country in the
world, “but faster in the developing countries,” Professor
Mittra observed. Among the factors he cited for this surge is women
delaying childbirth because of working outside the home. Another
factor affecting all types of cancer, he indicated, is increased
longevity with the control of infectious diseases.

“In India, it is estimated that life expectancy between 1995 and
2025 will increase by 9 years,” he said. “This will
increase the incidence of cancer by 300%.”

Related Articles

  • Promising Personalized Ovarian Cancer Vaccine Induces Immune Responses
  • FDA Approves Rucaparib for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Maintenance Therapy
  • Does Trastuzumab Plus Carbo/Paclitaxel Up PFS in Advanced HER2+ Uterine Carcinoma?
  • ‘Ultra-Restrictive’ Opioid Policy Post-Op: Benefits in Gyn Cancer
  • ACA Medicaid Expansion: Benefit for Women With Gynecologic Cancers

Resource Topics rightRail

  • Resource Topics
  • Partner Content
Breast Cancer
Lung Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Melanoma
Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas: Mycosis Fungoides and Sézary Syndrome
3 Keys to Success in the Oncology Care Model

Current Issue

Oncology Vol 32 No 4
Apr 15, 2018 Vol 32 No 4
Digital Edition
Subscribe
Connect with Us
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
Modern Medicine Network
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Advertiser Terms
  • Privacy statement
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Editorial & Advertising Policy
  • Editorial Board
  • Contact Us
Modern Medicine Network
© UBM 2018, All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited.