3 days ago
Breast, cervical cancer cases surge in Coimbatore district
Coimbatore: There is an alarming rise in breast and cervical cancer cases in the district. If the data available with the 13 govt hospitals that screen for breast and cervical cancers in Coimbatore is anything to go by, the test positivity rate is steadily increasing by 2% to 4% every year.
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"Nowadays, women, irrespective of their age group, are vulnerable for breast and cervical cancers. Early menstruation, late menopause and obesity are major reasons for breast cancer. Women consuming excessive fatty foods and alcohol could also contract breast cancer. Women with poor vaginal hygiene, multiple sexual partners and multiple child births are at the risk of contracting cervical cancer," says Dr P Guhan, director and chief oncologist, Sri Ramakrishna Hospital.
As per the data gathered from the 13 govt hospitals, 1,164 women were tested positive for cervical cancer in the district in 2024-25, against 726 in 2023-34 and 484 in 2022-23. The hospitals employ the VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid) screening method to diagnose cervical cancer.
"The positive cases are referred to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) for further treatment. The data shows that there is a rise in cervical cancer cases in the semi urban and rural areas of the district every year.
Hence, screening for the same should be beefed up in the villages and suburban areas. Early detection is very important to cure cancers," said an official with the Public Health Department.
Similarly, the district has recorded an increase in breast cancer cases to 842 in 2024-25 from 623 in 2023-24 and 517 in 2022-23. According to the oncologists, breast cancer cases are high in urban areas, while rural areas top the district in cervical cancer cases.
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"Only early detection and treatment could cure these cancers, which could be caused by lifestyle changes and diet as well," they say.
A Nirmala, dean, CMCH, said it was advisable for every woman under the reproductive age to get vaccinated with HPV (Human Papillomavirus) and take a pap smear test. "Women above the age of 30 should do a mammogram annually or at least once in two years. Usually, cancer cells take a couple of years to reach 1cm in size and become visible.
Hence, annual screening is a preventive measure."
These days, she says, chemotherapy, surgery and most other treatments are covered under the chief minister's comprehensive health insurance scheme both in govt and private hospitals. "Despite all these facilities, a few people refuse to get diagnosed."
