The year 2020 and the circumstances related to coronavirus pandemic and other difficulties has been a powerful reminder that we are all in this together, and our choices and actions have the power to protect the most vulnerable among us in a big way. The same holds true when it comes to breast cancer. With October being the breast cancer awareness month globally, Hockey India and the non-profit organization Aaroogya for women cancer Research and Prevention conducted a session via Zoom with the members of the Indian women’s hockey team about the early detection and prevention of breast, cervical and oral cancer on Wednesday.
In this session, the Co-Founders of Aaroogya Dr. Priyanjali Datta and Dr. Dhruv Kacker spoke about how to conduct self-examination for the detection of cancer, the common symptoms of cancer and the advantages of early detection of cancer.
Dr. Priyanjali Datta emphasized the fact that women should not expose themselves to mammograms before the age of 45 in case they show symptoms of cancer. They should opt for an ultrasound scan instead. They also made the Indian women’s team players aware of the causes of cancer such as poor lifestyle, consumption of junk food, tobacco, alcohol and most importantly stress, which is one of the major causes of cancer. They said that the best way to prevent cancer is to have a good lifestyle by regularly exercising and following a healthy diet, and they also lauded the Indian Women’s Hockey Team for possessing the right representation of a good lifestyle.
The Indian women’s team captain Rani Rampal, on behalf of the entire team, said that they will pass on the knowledge they attained during the session to their family members. “The session on the awareness about cancer was very helpful for us. It was great to be made aware of the common symptoms and causes of cancer and the steps to detect it early which makes it critical, I am sure that this session will help us. Hopefully, Aaroogya can reach out to many more women and help them understand the early detection steps and preventive measures for cancer. We can also pass on the knowledge we have attained today to our own family members and friends,” stated Rani Rampal, Captain, Indian Women’s Hockey Team.
Aaroogya has transformed the way of prevention and early detection for reducing death rates and has provided on-ground data for precision new drugs and better treatment for the population of the Indian subcontinent, in partnership with government and private partners.
“We lose around 600 women every day in India due to the late detection of cancer. And if we don’t address the growing concerns of cancer, around 130 million people could be diagnosed with cancer in India by 2030. Around 2000 women are detected with cancer every day. We primarily work in the prevention and early detection of Breast, Cervical and Oral Cancer. It’s very important to conduct self-examination for symptoms of cancer regularly as early detection of the disease will give one a better chance to recover,” emphasized Dr. Priyanjali Datta and Dr. Dhruv Kacker.
Speaking on the session, Gyanendro Ningombam, Officiating President, Hockey India stated, “While we are living in the midst of a pandemic, it’s important to note the dangers of the rising number of cancer cases in India as well, especially breast, cervical and oral cancer. It was very important for the members of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team to know about how to detect cancer and the preventive measures that need to be taken. We are absolutely delighted that the non-profit organization Aaroogya conducted a very informative session with the Indian women’s hockey team players”.
