Breast cancer diagnoses in Bengaluru are rising by 3.4% annually, with the disease accounting for 35.1% of cancer cases among women across the city, according to an analysis by the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. The findings were released as the Bengaluru-based cancer hospital steps up awareness activities during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
The institute said 16,105 cancer cases were reported in Bengaluru last year. Of these, 7,564 involved men and 8,541 involved women. Around 3,000 new breast cancer cases are being recorded annually, meaning more than one in three women diagnosed with cancer in the city has breast cancer, according to the analysis.
The trend contrasts with cervical cancer, whose annual diagnosis rate has declined by 1.9%, the institute said. At Kidwai alone, more than 13,000 new cancer cases were registered last year. Women accounted for a higher number of cases at the institute, with breast cancer diagnosed in 1,500 women. Breast cancer represented 24.3% of cancer cases among women diagnosed at Kidwai, while the combined figure from hospitals across Bengaluru exceeded 35%.
Kidwai’s cancer specialists have linked the increase to changing lifestyles, while also identifying family history, delayed marriage and childbearing, obesity, not breastfeeding, high cholesterol, hormone replacement therapy, high-fat diets and alcohol consumption as associated factors. The report does not assign a separate numerical contribution to each factor.
The institute also highlighted a major challenge in Bengaluru’s cancer-care system: delayed presentation. It said around 50% of women arrive for treatment when the disease has reached the third or fourth stage. Kidwai director Dr R. Krishnappa said many women seek treatment only after the cancer has advanced, making the condition more difficult to manage. He said the recovery rate is lower when the disease is detected at the third or fourth stage, while early detection makes it possible to cure 90% of cases, according to the report.
The case load at Kidwai reflects the hospital’s role beyond Bengaluru. Patients from different parts of Karnataka and other states travel to the facility in Hombegowda Nagar for treatment, education, research and awareness programmes. The growing concentration of patients at a specialist public cancer institution also points to the importance of timely detection and the availability of diagnostic and treatment services closer to where people live.
Kidwai records an average of 33,946 outpatient visits and 1,839 inpatient admissions every month. More than four lakh people visit its outpatient department every year for cancer testing and treatment-related services. The figures include patients coming from outside Bengaluru and Karnataka.
The institute advised women above 30 to undergo regular self-examination and medical checks. It recommended mammography once every two years for women above 40. The awareness campaign during October is intended to encourage earlier detection alongside treatment and research activities.
The reported figures place both rising diagnosis rates and late hospital presentation at the centre of Bengaluru’s cancer-care challenge. Kidwai’s next steps include continuing awareness activities and encouraging eligible women to seek regular screening and medical evaluation.
