Psycho-Social Problems Of Breast Cancer Victims Of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

According to the American Cancer Society, about 1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually worldwide about 465,000 die by the disease.  It is the second major cause of cancer deaths in women today after lung cancer and is the most common cancer among women, excluding no melanoma skin cancers. Breast cancer rates have risen about 30% in the past 25 years in western countries. Although breast cancer rates are rising in many western countries, deaths from the disease have decreased in some countries as a result of improved screening and treatment. In developing countries, the lifetime probability of developing breast cancer is about 1.8%. The number of breast cancer in India is about 100,000 women each year and there will be approximately 2, 50,000 new cases of breast cancer in India by 2015 says Indian council of Medical Research (ICMR).The world cancer report also reveals that the developing world is expected to account for more than half of all cancer cases in the world by 2020. WHO is also warning that Asia’s annual death toll from cancer, currently at about 4million, could reach 6.4million by 2030 if current trends continue. This rise is particularly affecting younger women between 30 and 40 years. According to the National Cancer Registry Programme Report on time trends in cancer incidences rates (1982-2005) of the ICMR the estimated number of breast cancer cases in India in 2010 is 90,659. With this background, to address the issues and seriousness of this emerging women’s health needs this research explores the Psycho-Social Problems and Challenges in Access to Medical care and support of Breast Cancer Patients.