Mar 2, 2024
Cancer Awareness Society and PARAS HMRI Hospital joined hands to organize the ‘Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Awareness Programme’ in the Seminar Hall of Magadh Mahila College, Patna in the presence of around 200 students, 25 faculty members and media persons. The programme was moderated by Khurshid Ahmad. It focused mainly on educating participants about breast cancer risk, ways to prevent it and suggesting the most effective treatments of this killer disease. The students and faculty members participated enthusiastically in the interactive session between them and the doctors. They were keen on learning how to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer.
Speakers on the day included TP Sinha (National President, CAS), Dr. AA Hai (Director- General Surgery, PARAS HMRI Hospital and National Vice President, CAS), Dr.Shekhar Keshri (Consultant- Radiation Oncology,PARAS HMRI Hospital), Dr.Mitali Dandekar (Consultant – Head & Neck Surgical Oncology PARAS HMRI Hospital) and Dr.Asha Singh (Principal, Magadh Mahila College).
The session opened with Dr. AA Hai’s presentation followed by Dr.Keshri’s presentation. Dr.Hai spoke extensively on all aspects of Breast Cancer- its symptoms, stages, ways to detect the disease- self-examination methods and ways to prevent it. Dr.Mitali Dandekar shared her views on how choosing a healthy lifestyle can lower the risk of getting breast cancer. Dr.Keshri highlighted that Breast Cancer is curable. It should be diagnosed at an early stage and treated just in time to avoid any health related complications in the future. He highlighted that it can be treated through surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
There were a lot of interesting questions the students and faculty members came up with. One of the students asked if white discharge through vagina can be one of the causes of breast cancer. Dr.Mitali addressed the question and said that leucorrhoea or white discharge is totally unrelated to breast cancer. The most common reason behind it is infection. However it can be one of the rarest causes of cervical cancer. Dr.Hai stressed the point that a Breast cancer patient needs to stay positive and also requires the love and support of her family to battle the disease. He also clarified that breast cancer is NOT infectious and that the chances of its occurrence in men is only 1%.
The doctors effectively cleared the doubts in the minds of the students. On the other hand the students were satisfied at the end of the session as they called it a highly informative session.