Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in India, yet it is the one which gets the least amount of attention. In recent years, we have seen a tremendous rise in the number of women encountering breast cancer. According to a report in Omega Hospitals, 1 in 28 Indian women may encounter breast cancer once in their life. In most cases, the risk of breast cancer starts as soon as a woman enters her 30s and ends once they surpass her 50s and 60s.
What's even more alarming is the fact that India tops the list of countries with the most deaths due to breast cancer. In every four minutes, one woman is detected with breast cancer in India. According to a report on India TV, by the end of 2022, over 5.25 lakh women were diagnosed with breast cancer in a span of five years. In the last decade, the incidence of breast cancer in Indian women below the age of 35 has gone from 3 per cent to 8 per cent. From genetic mutations to an unhealthy lifestyle, teenagers are becoming more prone to breast cancer than ever.
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Over the decades, we have seen a series of actresses being diagnosed with breast cancer. While most celebrities kept it hidden from the public eye, actresses started sharing their journey to motivate others as time changed. After actresses and public figures started opening up about their battle with breast cancer in public, the disease started getting the attention it deserved. Now, without further ado, let's talk about famous actresses, who raised their voices for breast cancer awareness after being suffered from the same.
It was back in 2018 when Bollywood actor, Ayushmann Khurrana's wife, Tahira Kashyap, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The renowned Indian writer and film producer was diagnosed with stage 0 of breast cancer when she was 35. However, it was a pre-cancerous stage as she was detected with DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ), because of which Tahira's right breast was removed. At a time when celebrities used to hide their diseases, Tahira was quite vocal about her battle with breast cancer. Her treatment was completed in January 2019, and she is now cancer-free. In order to inspire and motivate other women, who are suffering from breast cancer, she created a 7-episode podcast series, My Ex-Breast, in which she talked about her journey.
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It was in 2021 when the iconic actress, Mahima Chaudhry was diagnosed with breast cancer. The actress was unaware of it, and it was during a routine checkup that she discovered that she had breast cancer. However, after battling with cancer for over a year, Mahima recovered from it successfully, as she was in the early stages of the life-threatening disease. Once, in an old interview with a news portal, Mahima revealed that she had even permitted doctors to remove her breasts if necessary, as all she wanted to do was live.
One of the biggest television actresses in India, Hina Khan shared the unfortunate news of being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer on June 28, 2024, through an Instagram post. The actress revealed that the treatment had started and requested everyone to pray for her health. Despite being diagnosed with such a big disease, Hina maintained her calm as she stated, "I am strong. Determined."
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The legendary actress, Mumtaz was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2002 at the age of 52. Despite being in her 50s, Mumtaz defeated the disease and inspired so many breast cancer patients across the world. As per multiple reports, Mumtaz underwent six chemotherapies and a total of 35 radiation treatments.
The iconic actress, Hamsa Nandini was diagnosed with Grade III breast cancer back in 2021. For the uninitiated, the actress was diagnosed with a tumour at the beginning, and she was advised to have surgery. The surgery was successful, and the tumour was removed. Unfortunately, when the tests were conducted again, she tested positive for BRCA1 (Hereditary Breast Cancer). It was a tough phase for the actress, whose acting career took a big blow when she was diagnosed with cancer. However, she always remained positive and was quite vocal about her battle with cancer. Finally, after months of treatment, she was cancer-free and is now an inspiration for patients with breast cancer.
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Popular television actress, Chhavi Mittal is also a breast cancer survivor, who never skips a chance to raise awareness about the same. It was in April 2022 when Chhavi was diagnosed with breast cancer and was told to perform surgery. The actress discovered the disease when she pulled a chest muscle while lifting weights in the gym. On the doctor's advice, when Chhavi did an MRI scan, it was when the doctors discovered a tumour in her other breast. Soon, the treatment started, and after battling the disease for a long time, Chhavi beat it and is now completely cancer-free.
The Uruguayan-Mexican actress, Barbara Mori made her acting debut in Bollywood with the film, Kites, opposite Hrithik Roshan. However, not everyone is aware of the fact that three years before the release of Kites, Barbara Mori was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, when she was just 29. Luckily, she was in the initial stage of breast cancer, which was why she managed to recover from it quite quickly.
We hope more celebrities raise their voice for breast cancer awareness so that the government can take essential measures against this alarming disease.
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