October is almost over. The pink ribbons will disappear from posters, awareness events will end, and social media will move on to its next trending topic. But breast cancer will not look at the calendar before entering someone’s life.For a woman, the first warning may be a small lump noticed while changing clothes. For another, it may be an unusual change in the nipple or skin. Sometimes, there is no pain at all. Life continues as usual until an ordinary moment becomes a life-changing one.

The problem is not simply that breast cancer exists. It is that too many women discover it when they should have discovered it earlier.Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in India, accounting for approximately 26.6%–27.7% of female cancer cases. Estimates suggest that India records around 200,000–230,000 new cases every year. The lifetime risk is approximately 1 in 28 Indian women, rising to about 1 in 22 in urban areas, compared with 1 in 60 in rural areas.

Over three decades, the crude incidence rate has more than doubled, from approximately 13 per 100,000 women in 1990 to 29.4 per 100,000. Another worrying feature is age. While breast cancer is often associated with older women, the median age of diagnosis in India is approximately 40–45 years. Young, premenopausal women are increasingly part of the picture.

The most disturbing statistic is that more than 57% of cases are reported at locoregionally advanced stages, including Stage III and IV. Late diagnosis can make treatment more difficult and reduce survival prospects.

Why do women delay........

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