Bhubaneswar: Rise in awareness level and regular screening is the way forward to battle cancer in women, said health experts at a special session on ‘Women’s Health’ at India’s first Women’s Business Mela here.
“Areas of key concern are the incidence of cervical cancer and increasing occurrence of breast cancer in women who require regular screening and awareness about the symptoms,” said Dr Chira Ranjan Khadanga, Radiation Oncologist at SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) here on Sunday.
Dr. Khadanga was part of the three-member team from SUMUM which participated in the panel discussion on the subject at the event organised to create business opportunities for women, exchange entrepreneurial ideas and promote women’s entrepreneurship in Odisha. Dr. Chinmayee Kar, Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Sushri Sangeeta Jena, Senior Clinical Nutritionist were also on the panel.
Emphasising on the importance of regular cancer screening like PAP Smear test to check for cervical cancer and mammogram for breast cancer, once a woman has reached the age of 30, Dr Khadanga said women should not hesitate to take these examinations as most of these tests are painless.
With the focus on women’s health, Dr. Kar said women in their late 40s and early 50s should not ignore the symptoms of menopause and should consult their physician as menopause had myriad effects on the female body. She stressed the need for women to take steps to preserve their health and focus on preventive care by scheduling regular visits to the gynaecologist.
Speaking about the unique nutritional requirements of women which evolved with physical and hormonal changes like puberty, pregnancy, childbirth and menopause, Jena laid stress on the importance of antioxidants and micronutrients like calcium, folic acid, iron, zinc, Vitamin C and D in women’s health. She said women should have a diet plan based on their vital nutritional needs to avoid health issues in future.
