By GETHSEWMANE MWIZABI –

APOLLO Hospital, Asia’s foremost healthcare provider, has marked a new beginning in diagnosis of Breast Cancer by launching South Asia’s first-of-its-kind, full-field digital mammography with Tomosynthesis (3D) system at Apollo Speciality Cancer Hospitals in Chennai, India.
Zambian patients can be availed of this latest technology for breast cancer and adopt a 360 degree approach to prevent breast cancer.
According to a statement from Apollo Hospitals availed to Times Health News, this is the latest technology for breast cancer.
The device Breast Tomosynthesis is a 3-dimensional imaging technology that involves acquiring images of a stationary compressed breast at multiple angles during a short scan.
The individual images are then reconstructed into a series of thin high resolution slices that can be displayed individually or in a dynamic cine mode.
There is no doubt that in Zambia and most other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in women, after cancer of the cervix. Breast cancer incidences are on the increase in developing nations, where a lack of public awareness, absence of organised screening programmes, economic and cultural barriers, a severely limited oncology workforce, and an underdeveloped cancer care infrastructure have resulted in women presenting at late stages of the disease with an unacceptably high mortality rate.
“Digital breast Tomosynthesis offers a number of exciting opportunities including the possibility of reduced breast compression, improved diagnostic and screening accuracy, 3-D lesion localisation, and contrast-enhanced 3-D imaging,” said Dr K Hariprasad, the Apollo Hospitals Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The Hospital affirms the fact that the early detection of breast cancer is the best strategy for any country to follow when it comes to tackling this illness.  As per  World Health Organisation (WHO) report, 61per cent of breast cancer patients are diagnosed at stage III or stage IV of the disease, therefore hindering the best treatment options.
“Apollo Hospitals is one of the few hospitals in India that is well equipped to provide 360 degree cancer care. The comprehensive treatment planning procedure includes an experienced Tumour Board which is a panel of competent medical, surgical and radiation oncologists.
Referred cases are jointly decided by the board and the diagnostic consultants on the best line of treatment for each patient.
Medical counsellors, speech therapists, dieticians and other professionals related to the case chip in and aid the panel.
Apollo Hospitals also has speciality clinics like The Breast Clinic, Brain Tumour Clinic and Thyroid Clinic where a holistic approach to eradicate cancer is adopted,” added Dr Hariprasad,
Complicated and delicate tumour excisions are routinely performed at Apollo Hospitals.
A team of highly trained Surgical Oncologists well supported by skilled operating theatre and recovery staff ensure that the success rate of oncology surgeries at Apollo Hospitals is comparable with that of the best centres in the world.
“As women grow older the chances of getting breast cancer is very high. After the age of 20 years, a woman must regularly do breast self-examination and must be assessed by a clinician at least once every 2 years or earlier if any abnormality is detected.
So, take the first few right steps and bring your wife, mother, sister or daughter to breast screening clinics and ensure nothing comes in the way of her happiness and well- being,” concluded Dr Hariprasad.
Apollo Hospitals has successfully treated more than 60,000 foreign patients from across the world in the last five years and the numbers are looking up every year.
Patients from Africa have been choosing Apollo as the waiting time and expenses are very high in Western countries when compared to India.
Recently, Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, had teamed up with Apollo Hospitals, to connect international patients with quality healthcare services in India.
As part of the joint venture, the patients and their attendants from 19 countries across Middle East and Africa can visit the hospital’s flagship locations in Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmadabad and Bangalore to avail specially formulated fares for round-trip flights on Emirates.