Breast cancer awareness stressed on Mother's Day

Medical experts are using Mother’s Day on Sunday to highlight the need for regular breast cancer checks.

There are 2.26 million new cases of breast cancer in the world each year, overtaking lung cancer with 2.2 million new cases annually. 

Breast cancer is now the top health risk for women.

“There are about 400,000 new cases in China every year, seriously impacting women’s health and becoming a severe social and family problem,” said Jiang Zefei from the China Clinical Tumor Association. 

“Early-stage  breast cancer is curable. Screening is extremely important. The mortality of breast cancer is lower than other cancers though its incident remains top. Early screening and regular and precise treatment are the key.”

Screening measures include a physical examination, ultrasound, mammogram, MRI and biomarker check, said Zhang Ligang, president of iKang Healthcare Group.

“Early screening is the key for breast cancer prevention and control. Women over 35 years old should receive screening every year," Zhang said. 

"Those with a family history or having mutation of breast cancer-related genes should receive screening earlier and more frequently. We call for a higher awareness of breast cancer screening for early detection and intervention for patient recovery, long-term survival and high life quality.”