1 lakh women screened in Goa, 52 cases of breast cancer found

Panaji: Out of 1 lakh women screened for breast cancer in Goa using the non-invasive and radiation-free iBreast exam in the last two years, cancer was detected in 52. In a group of women above 30 in a population of one lakh, iBreast screening detected lumps in 2,015 cases. These included both non-cancerous and cancerous tumors.

After positive results in screening, further investigation is done.

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the combination drug of pertuzumab and trastuzumab, which costs Rs 2 lakh, will be given free of cost to people with HER2 (a subtype of breast cancer) breast cancer cases at Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim. . From 4th February.

‘Mediclaim scheme is under review’
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya posted on Twitter on Tuesday, “Congratulations to Goa on achieving the milestone of 1 lakh breast cancer scans with painless iBreast exam. With the use of innovative technology based programme, Goa has emerged as a model state for breast cancer screening.

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the state hopes to scan 1.50 lakh women in the next one and a half years.

Rane said the health department will conduct tricancer screening for breast, oral and cervical malignant diseases on a large scale.

“The digitized cancer registry will be ready in two months,” Rane said. He said the health department will inform the path lab to inform the department about people with high cancer markers.

“This will help the department reach out to patients,” he said. The Health Minister said, the government is also reviewing its mediclaim scheme.

Rane blamed lifestyle and women’s hesitation to get tested for breast cancer cases, saying, “We don’t want women to be afraid of getting tested.”

Under the Healthy Women Healthy Goa project, women are screened for breast cancer with a hand-held device at zero cost at all health centres. The test takes 10-15 minutes.