Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has recently launched India’s national breast cancer helpline instituted by the Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation (UBF). Women in India will now have direct access to health care experts and can get their queries regarding breast cancer resolved by ‘conquerors’, experts and dieticians.
The national toll-free helpline number for breast cancer is 08046983383.
Along with experts, the helpline will be spearheaded by breast cancer survivors who will share their experiences and provide support and guidance to the callers.
Convenor of community services at UBF, K Sandhya Rani highlighted that the primary objective of the helpline will be to help women overcome their apprehensions and seek help. The helpline will provide information on benign breast diseases and breast cancer along with support regarding assessment, treatment and post-treatment coping mechanisms.
Mr Naidu praised the efforts of the survivors and their commitment towards spreading awareness. “According to the international agency for research on cancer, GLOBOCAN 2018, in India, breast cancer claims lives of 87,000 patients every year. Breast cancer has now surpassed cervical cancer to become the most common cancer affecting women in India,” he mentioned.