However, breast cancer cases are surging among women in their late 20s, which is nearly a decade earlier than in the West, and six in 10 diagnoses occur at stage 3 or 4. This signals that breast cancer screening for young women remains a concern.

"While routine annual breast cancer screening by mammography is recommended for all women of 40 and over, those under 40 years need to see the doctor for a breast health check once a year. In case of any suspicion of abnormality, doctors may ask for an ultrasound of the breast and, if required, an MRI of the breast. All women 18 years of age and over are advised to make monthly self-breast examination a habit. It helps the woman be mindful of the normal state of her breast, which would alert her in case of any sudden changes," she added.

Still lacking

Meanwhile, newer modalities of screening are not yet incorporated in the public health screening programmes.

The Tamil Nadu Health Department is offering organised cancer screening programmes under the National Health Mission (NHM) for common cancers, including breast cancer. While the programme screens individuals aged 30 and above, provides treatment, and offers counselling for lifestyle modifications, they do not have any methods to screen younger women.

"There are new technologies that are being adopted for the screening, but the same is a challenge to perform for younger women using mammograms. Moreover, access to these technologies is limited in the public health sector," said a retired official from the state health department.