Goa screens 1L women, finds 52 cases of breast cancer

PANAJI: Of the 1 lakh women screened for breast cancer in Goa using the non-invasive and radiation-free iBreast exam, 52 were detected with cancer over the past two years. In the group of women above 30 in the pool of a lakh, the iBreast screening detected lumps in 2,015 cases. These included both non-cancerous and cancerous lumps.
After the screening turns in a positive result, further investigations are carried out.
Health minister Vishwajit Rane that said the combination drug comprising Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab, which costs Rs 2 lakh, will be administered free of cost to those with HER2 (a subtype of breast cancer) breast cancer cases at Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim, from February 4.
‘Mediclaim scheme under review’
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya posted on X on Tuesday, “Congratulations to Goa on achieving the milestone of 1 lakh breast cancer scans with the painless iBreast exam. With the use of innovative technology-led programme, Goa has emerged as a model state for breast cancer screening.”
Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane said the state hopes to scan another 1.50 lakh women over the next one and a half years.
Rane said the health department will conduct the tricancer screening for breast, oral, and cervical malignancies on a larger scale.
“The digitised cancer registry will be ready in two months,” Rane said, adding that the health department will notify path labs to intimate the department about people with high cancer markers.
“This will help the department reach out to patients,” he said. Government is also reviewing its mediclaim scheme, the health minister said.
“We don’t want women to be afraid of testing,” Rane said, attributing breast cancer cases to lifestyles and women’s hesitation to get themselves checked.
Under the Swasth Mahila Swasth Goa Project, women are screened with a hand-held device for breast cancer at zero cost at all health centres. The test takes 10-15 minutes.