A 40-year-old, young female Airlines Captain (Mrs. Sudha Bengani), detected with early-stage breast cancer successfully underwent breast conservation surgery followed by chemotherapy at Max Hospital Gurugram and is all set for yet another take-off. Post surgically, she is medically fit (cancer-free) and has recently applied for renewal of her flying license, and is ready to pilot again.
In the meantime, while she is waiting to put on her wings, she and her spouse have been operating a cozy café known as Café Nautical mile which is gathering rave reviews over the net. No prize for guessing why a pilot chose to keep her café name as Nautical mile.
Being in such a profession that demands high levels of physical fitness due to the responsibility it carries with, the news of being detected with breast cancer, seemingly force landed her career. Attributing to her awareness, strength, and resilience, she fought back to living her dream which was seemingly on the verge of closure. Being self-aware, she was apt to undergo diagnosis and caught it at an early stage to face adversity with grit.
Over the last decade, even though there is a rise in the incidence of breast cancer, but with awareness, access and changing paradigms in cancer care, the mortality rate has come down gradually.
“On the occasion of World Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we aim to bring about the real-life risk of breast cancer to the forefront and wish to get each one of us talking and get the spotlight on breast cancer. It is the most common cancer in Indian females. The age of onset had gotten younger over the last two decades, however, still we continue to have patients who have chosen to ignore a growing lump in their breasts and or were simply not aware. A lump in the breast, maybe cancer, but the sooner you get it to, the early stage it would be and lesser would be the treatment required. Above all, you will continue to have a healthy life and live your dreams.” Said Dr Bhuvan Chugh, Consultant-Medical Oncology, Max Hospital, Gurugram
Globally, 7% of the population under the age of 40 years is suffering from breast cancer, whereas in India, the rate is double i.e., 15%. And out of which 1% of the patients are male, which put together has the highest count of breast cancer patients from India globally. Apart from being hereditary, many other risk factors like sedentary lifestyle, bingeing on alcohol, smoking, increasing obesity among youngsters, stress and poor dietary intake have been attributed to increase in the incidences of breast cancer among the young Indian women.
“Diagnosing for breast cancer among younger women (<40 years) is difficult as the tissues being denser than older women. And by the time the lump starts to show persistent symptoms, the tumor reaches an advanced stage, where it proliferates aggressively and less likely to responds to treatment. With the recent advancements in the cancer care treatment, mortality and morbidity rates among breast cancer patients have curbed down. Based on the stage and grade of the tumor, the doctor may prescribe combination of treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Hormonal Therapy or Targeted Medications.” Added Dr Chugh
There is a dire need to create awareness among masses to get most breast cancers detectable at early stages, as most women with breast cancer arrive after metastasis (when the tumor has spread to other body parts). In metastatic or advanced stages of cancer, it isn’t completely curable, and the treatment aims to achieve remission (where the tumor shrinks or disappears).
