Apollo Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad has launched a campaign to create awareness on breast cancer together with Women's Empowerment (WE) and Apollo Cure Foundation. This campaign is aimed at creating awareness about the growing ailment afflicting women and to educate on prevention and early detection. Breast cancer can be prevented and early detection through breast self-examination and mammography is key to treating breast cancer, according to experts.

Dr Hari Prasad, CEO, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, said that the prevalence of breast cancer in India is alarming. Studies indicate every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, every thirteenth minute a woman dies from breast cancer, and it accounts for 20 per cent of the total cancer-related diseases in India and is largely prevalent among urban women. One in twenty two women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

According to Dr Vijay Anand Reddy, director and consultant radiation oncologist, Apollo Cancer Hospital, about 90 - 95 per cent patients with breast cancer survive if detected during stage I, 70 - 80 per cent during stage II, 50 per cent during stage III and only less than 20 per cent during stage IV.