Milann Fertility Centre, MS Ramaiah in Association with HCG MSR Cancer Centre Organizes Awareness Talk on the Occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The event witnessed doctors speaking on breast cancer and its impact on women’s fertility

Bengaluru: Milann, one of the largest fertility care providers in collaboration with HCG MSR Cancer Centre, today organized an awareness talk on breast cancer, its symptoms, early detection and treatment as well as impact of breast cancer on women’s fertility on the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While the talk on breast cancer was addressed by Dr. Arul Ponni, Consultant – Radiation Oncology, HCG MSR Cancer Centre, Dr. D Sowmya, Reproductive Medicine Consultant at Milann Fertility Centre, MS Ramaiah addressed the impact of breast cancer on women’s fertility.

The event witnessed around 25 people attending. The talk was followed by an interactive session where the patients’ queries were clarified related to breast cancer and its impact on women’s fertility. The session helped the patients make an informed decision on whether they would like themselves tested and the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

Addressing the audience, Dr. Arul Ponni, Consultant – Radiation Oncology, HCG MSR Cancer Centre Bengaluru said, “We have been witnessing a surge in breast cancer patients amongst women in India, especially the younger age group. While genetic predisposition contributes only in less than 10% of patients, the non-genetic risk factors such as lifestyle changes and various other factors play a major role. Hence breast cancer can be prevented by creating awareness among women as well as early detection and treatment.”

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths and the second most-fatal health burden in India. With over 2 million cases worldwide, there has been a sharp increase in breast cancer cases in India with at least 1 in 22 women being affected. This high mortality in breast cancer has been found predominantly due to delayed diagnosis and lack of awareness.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. D Sowmya, Consultant – Reproductive Medicine, Milann Fertility Centre, MS Ramaiah said, “Many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer around the world, worry about their fertility. In fact, pregnancy in women with breast cancer or those who have been treated for it, is difficult. Women should be made aware of all cancers and cancer procedure-related fertility risks and the fertility-preserving treatment options that are available to suit them.”

Fertility preservation is a technique where the sperms, eggs or embryos are preserved for future use in the IVF treatment. The process involves freezing of sperms prior to beginning chemotherapy or radiotherapy besides freezing of extra embryos obtained from the IVF cycle. While both chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be damaging to the ovary depending on the agent used, dose given, and age of the patient, techniques like Ovarian Transposition (involves physically moving the ovaries out of the pelvis through operational methods) have been proven to be efficient in fertility preservation in women. However, fertility preservation is not just about eggs and sperms. In fact, it is about fulfilling the dreams of patients suffering from cancers and cancer survivors who also desire of parenthood.