A preliminary study by researchers at IIT Madras and AIIMS-Delhi found that roughly three out of every four women surveyed had never undergone breast cancer screening. The findings drew on a city-based survey conducted as groundwork for an initiative backed by the Indian Council of Medical Research, which aims to use ultrasound images to detect whether breast cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the armpit.

Pradeeba Sridar, an assistant professor in the department of medical sciences and technology at IIT Madras, noted that the online survey was designed to identify the barriers that prevent women from coming forward for screening. Among the 102 participants — whose median age was 38 — roughly three in four had never undergone any screening, while the remaining 27 had done so at least once.

The findings were published to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a health observance held each October across much of the world, as part of a broader effort to draw public attention to the issue.

Of the 75 women who had not been screened, 45 pointed to an absence of symptoms as their reason. Knowledge of what symptoms to watch for was distributed unevenly across the population studied. Awareness of a lump or thickening stood at 72.5%, yet familiarity dropped to 45.1% for skin redness or texture changes, and further still to 37.3% for peeling or scaling affecting the nipple or breast skin.

Roughly a quarter of respondents could not identify any of the six symptoms listed. Sridar noted that many women — including postgraduate degree holders — tend to base screening decisions on the presence of symptoms rather than routine check-ups, a pattern that forgoes opportunities for early disease prevention. State cancer registry figures from 2023 place breast cancer as the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in Tamil Nadu, accounting for around three in every ten new cases recorded that year.

Recorded at 35.6 cases per lakh women, the incidence rate was more than double the 15.7 figure logged for cervical cancer. Among women, the registry's figures for that year captured 49,225 newly diagnosed cancer cases — a count approximately 15% above the 42,852 logged in 2019.

Research indicates that catching a condition at an earlier stage, paired with prompt intervention, tends to produce better patient outcomes. Dr Bagyam Raghavan, a consultant radiologist based in the city and a former president of the Breast Imaging Society of India, was among those who contributed to the survey. Routine screening, she noted, is designed for women who appear and feel well — not only for those already experiencing symptoms.

Seventy-five percent of those surveyed indicated a preference for female healthcare providers. Raghavan noted that accessible pricing, the presence of women doctors and technicians at locations of patients' choosing, and conditions that respect privacy, dignity, and comfort are all factors that matter to women seeking care. She also pointed out that preventive screening is covered by insurance in countries such as the United States.

The researchers called on insurers and employers to incorporate age-appropriate and risk-stratified screening into coverage plans, keeping patient out-of-pocket costs low. Raghavan noted that detecting cancer at an earlier point can ease the demands of treatment and allow healthcare resources to stretch further.

Those who reported a family history of breast cancer were more likely to undergo screening, a pattern that also held among women at older ages. The team behind the study drew a distinction between observed patterns and established causation, noting that the data point to links rather than direct proof.

The researchers noted that the study's limited participant pool means broader data collection across Chennai's women's population would be needed before firmer conclusions can be drawn, though the findings already point to gaps that warrant attention. Advances in detection technology are opening new pathways for identifying cancer at earlier stages. Raghavan noted that broader public knowledge, improved pathways to care, and policies designed to support patients all contribute to catching the condition at an earlier stage.