Gandhinagar, Aug 17 (IANS) Gujarat Health Minister Pruful Pansheriya on Monday urged women to undergo regular breast cancer screening, citing state data showing that breast cancer accounts for 31.2 per cent of all cancers diagnosed among women in Gujarat and that 1,541 new breast cancer cases were recorded at the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI) in Ahmedabad in 2025.
Ahead of World Breast Cancer Research Day on August 18, Pansheriya said early detection and awareness remained crucial in tackling the disease.
“In the fight against cancer, early detection and awareness are the biggest weapons. If breast cancer is identified at an early stage, it is completely curable,” he said.
The minister appealed to all women above the age of 30 to regularly conduct self-breast examinations and advised women above 40 to undergo digital mammography screening.
He also urged anyone who notices an unusual lump or other abnormal symptoms to contact the nearest government health centre or GCRI without delay.
The state government is committed to providing quality and affordable cancer treatment to citizens, Pansheriya said, while expressing concern over the rising burden of cancer, particularly breast cancer among women.
According to GLOBOCAN 2022, India recorded 14,13,316 new cancer cases in 2022.
Breast cancer was the most common cancer among Indian women, with 1,92,020 new cases, accounting for 26.6 pc of all cancers among women.
The Gujarat government, citing estimates under the National Cancer Registry Programme, said the state had an estimated 77,205 cancer cases in 2024.
Among women in Gujarat, breast cancer accounted for the largest share of cancers, at 31.2 per cent.
Data from Ahmedabad’s Population Based Cancer Registry indicates that among women aged 0 to 74, one in 12 is at risk of developing cancer, according to the figures cited by the state government.
GCRI data for 2015-2025 shows that 1,541 new breast cancer cases were registered at the institute in 2025. Women aged 41-50 accounted for the largest group, with 469 cases, followed by 436 cases among women aged 51-60.
Pansheriya said GCRI, established in 1972, had developed into a model state cancer institute under a public-private partnership model.
In 2025, the institute recorded 26,812 cancer patients, including 17,665 from Gujarat and 9,147 from other states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
“The number of patients coming to GCRI from outside Gujarat reflected the reach of the institute’s cancer services,” he noted.
GCRI has been equipped with a range of advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities.
These include digital mammography for breast cancer screening and early detection, a surgical robot and CyberKnife for precision surgery and non-invasive treatment, a scalp-cooling device intended to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy, and next-generation sequencing for genetic testing and personalised treatment.
The institute also has a TrueBeam LINAC, Tomotherapy, a 3T MRI, a Cobas 4800 for HPV DNA testing, and 19 high-end modular operation theatres.
The state government said eligible patients can access these services free of cost under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY).
–IANS
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