For 38-year-old Sulekha Mondal of Basanti in South 24-Parganas, visiting a city hospital for routine breast cancer screening had never been an option.
“Visiting a Calcutta hospital for check-ups or treatment means losing wages for a few days. Besides, we don’t have that much money,” she said, smiling. “So, people like us ignore small pains and signs.”
Last year, a simple ultrasound test at a nearby health camp changed everything for Mondal. An early-stage lump was detected, her treatment started quickly, and today she is recovering.
“Today, I am alive because I could get the crucial test done. The best thing was that it was cheap and conducted nearby. Otherwise, I would never have gone for mammography,” said a relieved Mondal.
Stories like hers found global recognition after a research initiative led by doctors from Bengal had made its way into the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, one of the world’s most authoritative clinical references.
The guidelines now acknowledge USG as a reliable initial screening tool for breast cancer in resource-limited regions. This offers a lifeline to many women, who cannot access mammography — a “specialised X-ray test used to examine breast tissue to detect early signs of cancer, often before any lump can be felt”.
Mammography helps doctors identify tiny abnormalities, enabling early diagnosis and treatment.
In rural Nadia, 45-year-old farm worker Malati Garai echoed Mondal. “We hardly visit doctors unless the pain becomes excruciating. Therefore, when a mobile medical unit arrived with an ultrasound, we thought it was only for pregnant women. I never thought it could detect cancer at an early stage,” she said.
Garai’s tumour was identified early, and she could avoid aggressive treatment.
The development is seen as a milestone.
For the first time, a doctor from Bengal — surgical oncologist Soumen Das, who is director of the Institute of Breast Diseases, Kolkata (IBDK) — played a key role in contributing to the international cancer screening guidelines. His years of research demonstrated that ultrasound screening could effectively detect early-stage breast cancer.
In fact, this is a boon for populations where high-end mammography remains inaccessible because of a lack of infrastructure and high cost.
“India is a vast country with a rising burden of breast cancer, and there are far too many patients at an advanced stage of the disease. If we can shift the focus to early diagnosis, the entire disease trajectory can change,” said Das.
He added that training rural doctors and expanding the use of ultrasound-guided early detection could offer a low-cost yet highly scalable solution to this challenge. The change, he said, “might be gradual, but the country is steadily moving in the right direction”.
Medical experts say the findings bridge a crucial gap between high-end medical science and ground realities in poor regions. “This recognition validates what grassroots doctors have long believed — that affordable technology, when applied thoughtfully, can save countless lives,” said Tanmoy Mandal, medical oncologist.
In North 24-Parganas’s Amdanga block, homemaker Rina Bhadra, 33, recalled how she was hesitant at first. “Cancer, the very word, is frightening. However, the doctors explained patiently. The ultrasound took barely 10 minutes. It’s so simple. Yet, it detected a problem I had no symptoms of,” she said.
Public health workers believe that the NCCN recognition will encourage policy-makers to expand ultrasound-based early diagnostic programmes across rural India. “This could be a game-changer for those who are otherwise invisible in the healthcare system,” said a district health official.
Women like Mondal or Garai now urge others to overcome fear and hesitation. “If such a small test can save your life, why avoid it?” Garai asked.
Regarding the global recognition, Das said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the NCCN Breast Cancer Guidelines, which institutions across the US and around the world follow. I feel honoured to represent my institution and to be the sole contributor from India in this important global effort.”
As part of its endeavour to make cancer treatment more accessible, IBDK is organising the Best of St Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference – India. Leading experts from across the world will gather in Calcutta to discuss critical issues in breast cancer care over three days beginning March 6.
“Along with technological advances, the focus will be on making treatment affordable and accessible for countries like India. The conference will feature global and Indian experts brainstorming practical, evidence-based solutions to improve patient outcomes,” Das said.