“A high level of comfort”

The recently launched Jehangir Breast Care Centre (JBCC) is Poona’s only hospital-based breast care unit offering the latest technology combined with a highly qualified and experienced all-woman team of clinicians and paramedical personnel. JBCC’s mission is to offer "a high level of comfort in discussing breast-related concerns. The all-female multidisciplinary team of renowned doctors will provide the highest quality of care in assessment, diagnosis and treatment of any breast-related concerns.”
Inaugurating the facility on April 23, 2016, Dr Rajendra A. Badwe, director of Bombay’s Tata Memorial Centre, commended Jehangir Hospital’s administrators and medical staff for their foresight in launching the much-needed service. "Although the incidence of breast cancer in India is far lower than in the West, cases of breast cancer are on the rise in cities and midsize towns. The good news is that breast cancer, if detected early in stage I or II, is immensely curable.”
Well aware that prevention of this disease was as important as treating it, breast surgeon Dr Pranjali Gadgil proposed the setting up of a dedicated breast care unit within the Hospital’s Wellness Centre with the focus on both prevention and cure. Her suggestion received full support from Hospital chairman Sir Cowasji Jehangir, trustee Lady Jasmine Jehangir and the Hospital administration. Two years in the making, the JBCC offers digital mammography, which is of a higher resolution and clarity than conventional mammography, and also provides high resolution sonography with elastography, which is used to diagnose breast problems in younger women and as an adjunct to mammography in older women.

Having these facilities under one roof enables patients to undergo tests, receive the diagnosis and treatment plan, if needed, all in the course of a single visit. Dr Anupama Mane, consultant breast surgeon at Jehangir Hospital and head of breast services, said that by locating the new facility in the Hospital’s Wellness Centre, the fear factor for women has been considerably reduced. "The threshold for seeking attention has been lowered by placing the new unit in the Wellness Centre. The implication is that it is not for diseased patients only,” she added. Mane has been pioneering minimally invasive mastectomies at the Hospital. The procedure involves removing the breast through smaller incisions, which leaves less scarring, and then inserting a small implant for breast reconstruction.
The Centre has also set up separate specialty clinics, including a lactation clinic for pregnant and breastfeeding women; a lymphoedema clinic to support breast cancer patients who have undergone surgery; a genetic clinic run by genetic counsellors and doctors to assess the genetic risks of developing cancers and to provide advice for prevention and risk reduction of cancers; and a mastalgia clinic to treat the fairly common condition of painful breasts, usually caused by hormonal changes.
If cancer is detected, the patient’s treatment will be handled by a multidisciplinary team of experts in medical oncology, breast surgery, radiation oncology, plastic surgery, breast radiology and pathology. The facility will provide specialized care for all breast diseases including benign diseases, malignant tumors, reconstructive surgery and oncoplastic surgery. Cosmetic procedures such as breast enhancement, breast reduction and breast lift procedures are also available at the Centre.
As Dr Sujata Malik, director of medical strategy and development at Jehangir Hospital pointed out, "Breast care and treatment were fragmented until now. In India, lack of awareness and lack of access to resources have been a major problem. The mortality rate from breast cancers has been as high as 50%, even though if caught early the prognosis for breast cancer patients is extremely good with a high treatment success rate. So the launch of the JBCC — with the aim of treating every woman irrespective of social or financial status — is well-timed. With this new facility, Jehangir Hospital’s legacy of being of service to patients continues.”