A new study conducted by scientists at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has decoded the specific risk factors for breast cancer among women in India.Breast Cancer is among the top three cancers amongst women in India. The incidence of breast cancers in the country is expected to rise by about 5.6 per cent annually, translating to an estimated increase of 0.05 million new cases per year.
The team from ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research (NCDIR), Bengaluru, conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on 31 studies covering a total of 27,925 participants, with 45 per cent being diagnosed with breast cancer.
The findings, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, showed that “reproductive timing, hormonal exposure, central obesity, and family history influence breast cancer risk primarily among Indian women”.
“Women with late menopause (more than 50years), first pregnancy after 30 years of age, higher age at marriage, multiple abortions and central obesity (with waist-to-hip ratio more than 85 cm) are at significant risk,” the researchers said in the paper.