National cancer awareness day held
PANAJI: Agnel Entrepreneurship Development Institute (AEDI) in association with the Sai Life Care, NGO organised awareness programme, on the occasion of National Cancer Awareness Day.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant inaugurated the programme by lighting a traditional lamp.
Cancer surgeon Dr Shekhar Salkar was the guest speaker. Nhavelim sarpanch Mayuri Gawas and other panchayat members and Neha Talaulikar of AEDI were present.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sawant stressed the importance of early detection of breast cancer which can save life, save the breast and save money. He explained about the different treatments available at different stages and also told the gathering about the precautions to be taken by the women.
Giving statistics, Dr Salkar informed that there were approximately 1300 to 1500 cancer patients in Goa of which 250 to 300 women were in the age group of 39 to 59 years suffering breast cancer. He said survival chances for women with stage I were 95 per cent while in stage II it was 80 per cent. Similarly survival chances were 50 to 60 per cent in stage III and 10 per cent in stage IV.
He also advised women to have first child before the age of 30 years and to have at least two children with minimum six months of breast feeding but best was two years. He also advised them to control their weight and to undergo breast self examination once a month which can detect early breast cancer and to do baseline mammography at the age of 40 and thereafter one a year or alternate year as per the advice of family doctor.
Dr Salkar also answered the queries of the participants.