Epidemiology of breast cancer in India.

India with a population of 1.2 billion is the most populous democracy in the world. India is a pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic society. It includes over 15 native languages with more than 70 dialects (Government of India: Office of Registrar General, 2010). Although the focus of public health has been mostly on infectious diseases in the developing countries, non communicable disease like cancer also take an increased toll on resources (Parkin et al., 2001). Unlike other cancers, breast cancer is eminently treatable if detected at an early stage. However, there is a need for culturally appropriate breast cancer education and intervention strategies. With the Rs-10 billion Indian oncology market expected to grow at a rate of 21 per cent for the coming five years, dedicated oncology setups within hospitals are still in the pipeline to cater for 2.5 million cancer patients (Shukla, 2010).