Chandigarh, October 26
Now there is a very serious reason for women to have their first baby before they turn 30 — by doing so, they can reduce the risk of breast cancer. While lack of breast feeding does not have anything to do with breast cancer, Dr S.S. Legha, Clinical Professor of Medicine, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston (Texas), said lack of pregnancy increased the risk of breast cancer.

In the city for a public lecture on the disease as part of the "breast awareness month" being organised by the PGIMER at the Bhargava Auditorium here today, Dr Legha added that early detection held the key to the cure of the disease.

"If detected early, breast cancer is curable in 90 per cent of the cases but the tragedy is that most patients don't come to a doctor till there is very little that can be done. A self-examination every month, a clinical examination every year and mammography is the only way a breast cancer can be detected early," he stated.

Suggesting that the best time to ascertain lumps in the breasts is just after menstruation. "The tenderness and swelling have all gone by then and lumps are comparatively more discernible. In India, breast cancer, a disease of the affluent, has moved up, from second position to the first. Cervix cancer is now down to the second position. Thirty women in every 100, 000 have cancer in India while 100 women in 100, 000 have breast cancer in the USA," he said.

Recommending a mammography for all women above 40, Dr Legha said Indian women acquired it 10 years before their US counterparts where the risk of breast cancer was higher after 50. Dr Legha asserted that women should shed cultural taboos and approach a doctor the moment they suspected a lump in their breasts rather than hiding the problem till it spread to different parts of the body.

"Breast cancer does not happen overnight. I was at Ludhiana recently and of the 15 patients I examined, only one woman had come at the time when the cancer was still in its initial stage. Women must also realise that a relapse or reoccurrence is directly proportional to the stage of the cancer when detected. The late it is detected, the greater the chance of a relapse," he emphasises.

Maintaining that 80 percent of the lumps detected are usually benign, Dr Legha said it paid to be vigilant. "If detected early, the patient need not lose her breast, besides money is not wasted on chemotherapy and radiotherapy. After all this exercise and expenses, we still lose our women," he said.

While the cause of breast cancer is not known yet, the expert said these days medicines were available to suppress formation of breast cancer.

"Medicines are being given to families which fall in the high risk group. Breast cancer runs in families. If a mother has breast cancer, her daughter is most likely to have it. In families where two members have breast cancer, the other women are even at a greater risk," he explained.

Dr Legha said such families had been recommended medicines to keep the cancer cells under check. 

Chandigarh, October 26
“The Australian team has better chances compared to Team India. Though India has performed well in the past on the Mohali pitch, as far as the Champions Trophy is concerned, the Australians have an edge over the Indians”, said Ian Chappell, former Australian Test player and at present cricket commentator of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy at the PCA, Mohali.

In the evening the dew factor will be there and the Mohali pitch is little bouncy. It will cater to fast bowlers. Since India rely more on spinners, Australian team, which has pacers, has an edge over the Indian team”, said Ian Chappell at the Chandigarh Club this evening.

To rejuvenate himself, Ian Chappell chose to play tennis at the club. Though the courts were closed, today being the rest day, club officials could not let down their prime guest and opened the courts after getting permission from club president Mukesh Bassi.

Ian, the brother of Indian team coach Greg Chappell, got a little furious when asked about the experimentation on Team India being carried out in the past, understandably by the coach. “Who says Greg is doing experiments? It is the captain who takes initiatives in some cricketing matters. Ask this particular question to the captain. You will get your query answered then only.”

Ian admits that there is always home advantage for a team, but in this particular series it will not work much. “Normally, yes, it’s always advantage for the host team, but in this series the conditions, the wicket here is more suited to Australian strategy. Though they don’t fix any strategy against any particular team, their prime approach is always to play to win the game, I suppose”.

Ian could not resist himself from praising the City Beautiful and the PCA Stadium. “It is a well-planned city with very hospitable people living here. I just happened to come all of a sudden here to have a tennis session. The club people were kind enough to open the courts out of way for me. Ram Prakash, the tennis coach here, gave me a good fight. I enjoyed here a lot. I would like to come here again.”

Ian is fond of Indian cuisine also. “The Indian food is quite sumptuous. I like to eat chicken tikka and palak paneer the most”, he said.