In the state of Kerala in southern India, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is working closely with the Regional Cancer Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on a community-based research project to compare the effectiveness of breast cancer screening by clinical breast examination with current standards of care, where women seek medical care after the appearance of symptoms.
A network of community health workers trained by IARC visits residents in their homes to increase breast cancer awareness, offer health education, and perform clinical breast examinations. The screen-positive women are referred for further investigations and treatment.
The study, initiated in 2006, has observed a significant reduction in the incidence rates of advanced-stage breast cancer after three rounds of clinical breast examination.

Speaker(s) : IARC collaborators

Réalisation : IARC Communications Group