India has the highest global mortality rate due to breast cancer.This is not a novel claim, but a reality supported by numerous studies around the world. The study spanned decades, but India remains prominent.With many campaigns running across the country, every camp set up for cancer screening and everything that is constantly motivating people to take screening seriously, medical science is making progress towards tackling cancer early.
However, the numbers do not paint a positive picture. According to ICMR data cited by the government in a 2025 press release, “the projected number of cancer cases in India in 2023 was more than 14 lakh.”Every year, more than 1.57 million new cancer cases are reported in India, and this number is expected to increase. As reported by CK Birla Hospital, more than 70% of these cases are detected late. Dr. Monica Pansari, a surgical oncologist with 18 years of experience, says that in her career, most of the cancer cases had to be sought at a very late stage.The doctor says, “We used to see a lot of advanced malignant cancers (cancer development), advanced cancers, cancers coming in stage III, stage IV. As far as breast cancer is concerned, it used to be very big.”This makes treatment more challenging and reduces survival rates. However, early detection can improve survival rates by up to 80% for some cancers.
Cancer is a serious threat to life, but it is not always irreversible. Many types are highly treatable and preventable if detected early.A research on cancer screening and early diagnosis in India states, “Of all the cancers that can be easily detected and prevented at an early stage, one of the most prevalent cancers in India is breast cancer.”Omega Hospitals, in its statistical analysis of breast cancer cases in Indian women, states that 1 in 28 Indian women may face breast cancer during her lifetime, with urban areas having a higher burden than rural areas.
Progress in breast cancer detection
It is always better to pay attention to the symptoms. Through regular examinations and check-ups, the unfortunate incidence of cancer developing in later stages can be very easily avoided. Research shows that feeling a lump during a breast self-examination is the first step in identifying breast cancer. However, some procedures can detect breast cancer 1-3 years before a lump is felt, such as a mammogram.CK Birla Hospital says that through mammogram, breast lumps can be detected up to 2 years before the appearance of any visible symptoms. However, it says, many women don’t get a mammogram until age 40.“A mammogram is basically an X-ray of the breast, in which the breast is pressed between two plates,” explains Dr. Monica Pansari.
Reflecting on the experience over time of technological advancements in cancer detection technology, she says that the better quality of screening results has helped in proper diagnosis of the deadly disease.“The quality of the mammogram has changed, which used to be a film. Earlier, in the old days, all we got was a film mammogram,” the doctor said, “Now, it has become digital, in which obviously we can detect cancer even if it is very small, which was very difficult in the earlier old mammogram machines.”She also explains other procedures used to detect breast cancer, complementing mammography.“For digital mammograms, there is something called tomosynthesis, in which we image the breast, just like a CT scan, multiple slices of images are taken, in which even if it’s a tiny, tiny tumor that might have been missed in a standard mammogram, can be picked up in tomosynthesis.”This shows how vast progress medical science has made in dealing with and investigating cancer.
importance of early detection
Dr. Monica lists the importance of screening as an important part of one’s daily routine, as early detection increases the chances of getting rid of cancer cells with minimal procedures.“In stage I the cure rate is up to 98%. So in the later stages, the cure rate goes down,” she says, “If you talk about stage II, the cure rate is slightly lower than stage I. Even in stage III, the cure rate will be slightly lower than stage II.”She further explains how stage IV breast cancer can be kept under control for years, but requires more time and rigorous procedures. “For stage IV breast cancer, we can continue treatment and keep the cancer under control for many years if it is a good or favorable type of cancer,” she says, underscoring the possibility of a longer treatment period.“A very important advantage of early detection, especially in breast cancer, is that the treatment can be less aggressive,” says the surgical oncologist, “For the treatment of cancer, we always offer surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.However, she highlights that early detection can avoid the need for such procedures. “If we catch the cancer early, if the cancer is a somewhat favorable type of cancer, which in medical terms we call hormone receptor positive, then there is a very small chance that they will not need chemotherapy.”Ignoring breast cancer for too long not only increases the trauma of treatment on the body, but can also cause a person to lose an important part of their identity. Dr Pansari talked about the benefits of early screening and how it can also help “save the breast”.She explains, “For women undergoing mastectomy, which is the removal of the breast, it is a very emotionally and functionally painful experience. Their perspective of body image can completely change.” “Patients who come to us with advanced malignant disease. Obviously, we have to offer them mastectomy if it is difficult to preserve the breast.”
She adds, “If the same patient gets regular screening and if we detect cancer at an early stage, then certainly breast conservation surgery can be offered, and that also helps their long-term mental well-being.”
Human-AI partnership to detect breast cancer
With the intervention of artificial intelligence, methods to detect cancer cells are progressing faster and more efficiently.As the Cancer Research Institute says, “AI produces immeasurable efficiency when it comes to collecting, recalling and contextualizing complex datasets without the element of human error. In other words, with a few small signals, advanced models can process irrationally large amounts of data, identifying patterns, making predictions, and performing analyzes that would otherwise require researchers to examine manually.,Despite increased clarity and digitalization, approximately 20% of breast cancer cases are missed in mammogram readings, according to a study by the US National Cancer Institute. However, the inclusion of AI in the system has improved the efficiency of detection.
A study was conducted by The Lancet Oncology in Sweden, where more than 80,000 women were screened through mammography. Reports for half the population were read by a pair of radiologists, while for the other half, the AI and a radiologist were paired together. According to the findings, the other half of people with an AI partner were diagnosed with 20% more cancer than the first group.According to breastcancer.org, a separate study in the US and Germany showed that when radiologists are paired with artificial intelligence, it detects cancer 2.6% better than radiologists working alone.When Dr. Monica was asked about the impact of AI being implemented in the Indian healthcare system for breast cancer detection, she supported the possibilities of improving cancer detection.“It’s basically a software, there’s a lot of data that’s out there. So, small lesions, that may still be missed in a regular digital mammogram or even in tomosynthesis, when AI is implemented, the smallest lesions can be picked up. So this way AI will help us in early detection,” says the oncologist.
AI to detect breast cancer in India
AI intervention is still in the testing phase, as Dr. Pansari explained, “It is still under evaluation. We have not yet started practicing it in our daily routine, regular life, but definitely, AI can help us.”The oncologist also expresses optimism about this technology being implemented in India soon, as she says, “Research is ongoing. Hopefully, in a few days, a few months we will have all this. Not days, maybe a few months or years.”“There’s a lot of validation that goes into bringing anything into medical practice because it’s meant for public use. Until testing and validation is complete, we can’t use it in our clinical practice,” the doctor says.She adds, “It has its own advantages and disadvantages. Until we complete the research and collect the data, we cannot use it for the public.” So that verification has to happen. And once all this is complete, we can start using it.”While AI has not made its way into everyday medical practice, a Bengaluru-based startup, NIRAMAI (Non-Invasive Risk Assessment with Machine Intelligence), has developed a machine that uses heat to analyze and screen for the presence of cancerous tissue in the breast.The introduction of AI in cancer detection in India is probably coming soon, with the country standing at an important intersection of technology and public health. While traditional screening methods like mammography have greatly improved early diagnosis, their limitations underscore the need for smarter, more accessible solutions.
