Durdans announces ‘No Excuse October’ cancer screening drive

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Durdans Cancer Care is inviting women to take five minutes to make an appointment for breast cancer screening at Durdans Hospital. In addition, the Hospital has created a space on social media to discuss breast cancer with the #NoExcuseOctober movement, inviting the general public to follow Durdans cancer care on Facebook and Twitter. 

“According to the latest available National Cancer Control Programme Statistics, every year an estimated 2,350 new cases are reported in Sri Lanka. Early detection of breast cancer through breast scan or mammogram screenings means there’s a better chance of treating it successfully,” said Dr. Shreen Willatgamuwa, Family Physician at Durdans Hospital.   Women with a personal history of breast cancer, a family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer and women who had radiation therapy to the chest before the age of 30 are at higher risk for breast cancer while women aged 40 and above are considered to be at average risk for breast cancer. 

To detect signs of breast cancer in women below 40 years of age, experts recommend a breast ultrasound scan while a mammogram (a type of an x-ray) is used to screen women above 40 years and above. 

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Sri Lankan women, where 1 in every 4 women with cancerous conditions is diagnosed with breast cancer. While breast cancer patients have one of the highest survival rates in comparison to other forms of cancers, mammogram is still one of the best and most reliable ways to detect breast cancer at an early stage. 

The Durdans Cancer Screening offers important advantages for women, including appropriate and timely follow-up of abnormal findings and ongoing quality monitoring and cancer management.