Apollo Hospitals, has launched a first-of-its-kind Breast Care Clinic beginning with Bangalore. This will allow early detection of the dreaded disease which is manifesting in 30 per 100,000 population in the country.

According to data made available by the Indian Council of Medical Research, one in every 22 Indian women are likely to develop breast related disease during their lifetime. While this concern has certainly led to a growing awareness of breast care among women, there is a total lack of collaborative approach towards patient treatment and management.

According to Dr PP Bapsy, senior consultant oncologist, Apollo Hospital, there is a need for a collective approach towards treatment of breast related disease and hence we thought of setting up a clinic which can provide end-to-end solution to patients.

The clinic will have diagnosis and surgical treatment like breast reconstruction. There will also be regular awareness programmes including camps, classes and self examination activities for women on an ongoing basis by the clinic.

Even today surgery for many means removal of the whole breast. But now in most cases the tumour area can be removed preserving the rest of the breast as removal of the breast can have social and psychological repercussions in most patients. In fact patients here will be provided with supportive care like counseling and put through other rehabilitation program's which forms an important part of the treatment in such diseases, Dr Anil Kamath, consultant surgical oncologist.

"Every case will be reviewed by the team of doctors giving the patient benefit of a broad range of specialist opinions. The treatment with such a collective approach is invariably accurate, patient recovery time is swift and more importantly puts the patient at ease," said Dr Naveen Rao consultant cosmetic surgeon.

The medical team at the clinic will include Medical Oncologist, Breast Surgeon, Radiologist, specializing in women's Imaging, Gynecologist, Cosmetic Surgeon, Pathologist, Social Worker, Nutritionist, Genetic Counselor, Physiotherapist and a Multidisciplinary Nurse coordinator

All tests on the patient will be conducted over the course of just one visit to the clinic, with the objective of providing the patient with convenience and a quicker diagnosis. The treatment options at the clinic will include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery and other innovative treatment procedures available through clinical trials.

The clinic viewed by Apollo Group as a new benchmark in the diagnosis, treatment and management of breast diseases will offer between December 1 and 15, 2008, free breast screening for all walk-ins along with a 50 per cent discount on mammography or any other investigation during the period.