Breast cancer rising among Kolkata women in 20s, 30s
Times of India | 1 November 2025
Kolkata: A 22-year-old woman undergoing treatment for breast cancer at a government cancer institute in Kolkata is among the increasing number of women whom the cancer is affecting at a young age.
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month came to an end on Friday, cancer specialists across the city said the rising trend in breast cancer among younger women was a concern.
"Among the breast cancer patients under our treatment is a 30-year-old and a 27-year-old. We are seeing a rising trend of breast cancer in younger women," said Surgical Oncologist Soumen Das of the Institute of Breast Disease, NCRI Hospital Kolkata.
Breast cancer constitutes 19.7% of all cancers in women in Kolkata, according to ICMR data.
"Breast cancer is no longer limited to women above 40. We are increasingly seeing young women in their late 20s and early 30s being diagnosed, often at more advanced stages. Changing lifestyle patterns, delayed childbirth, stress, and lack of awareness about early symptoms are contributing factors," said Pragati Sanganeria, consultant breast onco surgeon at Peerless Hospital.
Radiation oncologist Subir Ganguly of Medica Oncology, Manipal Hospitals on EM Bypass, attributed factors including late childbirth, indiscriminate exposure to hormone treatment, and lifestyle as possible causes.
"Also, diagnosis scope and awareness level are increasing for all cancer types. This could also be one reason for the increasing number of younger women being detected with breast cancer," said Ganguly.
"One good trend is that detection in these younger women is mostly at an early stage, resulting in a better outcome," said medical oncologist Tanmoy Mandal of Manipal Hospital, Dhakuria.
Diptendra Sarkar of IPGMER Kolkata said that while breast cancer is still most common in the 45-55 age group, younger women are also being detected more often. "What is challenging is that the cancer in these younger women is aggressive, and there is also the issue of fertility, marriage, lactation, and breast conservation. While the state health department is already maintaining robust data from govt facilities, there is a need for private hospitals to come to the fore for a more powerful cancer registry," said Sarkar.
Several organisations, including Ruby General Hospital, Institute of Breast Diseases, and Narayana Hospital Howrah, have been holding awareness campaigns for early screening and prevention.