To raise awareness about breast cancer, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre had launched a Pan-India initiative ‘Drive Away Breast Cancer’. The initiative was focused on ensuring that every woman has knowledge and understanding about breast cancer, is self-examining for early diagnosis and living a healthy life .
As part of this initiative, a couple from Tamil Nadu, Ms. Logeshwari and Mr. Pream set out on a bike journey on June 21, 2022, traversing the length and breadth of the country including Nepal in their Royal Enfield Himalayan to raise awareness about breast cancer.
In 120 days, the bikers travelled 18,000 km across 2 countries, 24 states, and 3 union territories to bring breast cancer conversations to the forefront. Forty Royal Enfield Riders from the Chennai Royal Riders Motorcycle Club greeted and escorted them to the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, Chennai.
Ms Alisha Abdhulla, the first female Indian racing driver, Mr. Paul Moses, Administrator of the Chennai Royal Riders Motorcycle Club, and Mr. Harshad Reddy, Director- Operations, Group Oncology & International, Apollo Cancer Centers, greeted the riders and congratulated them on their accomplishment.
Sharing the experience of their journey, Ms Logeshwari & Mr. Pream said, “It was a matter of great pride for us to do the entire tour to raise awareness about breast cancer. Being a part of this enlightened us about the need to unite and inspire people against the rising issue of breast cancer. The mission of making India a cancer-free nation should be a top priority for everyone.”
Ms. Alisha Abdullah, the first female Indian racing driver, stated, “I’m honored to have witnessed the epic journey of the couple who rode their bikes for 18,000 km to fight breast cancer. It is a disease that affects many women, and it is comforting to know that it can be detected and treated early. I congratulate Apollo Proton Cancer Centre and the riders on a meaningful and novel campaign aimed at women’s welfare.”
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Harshad Reddy, Director- Operations, Group Oncology & International, Apollo Cancer Centers, said, “When it comes to cancer care, Apollo has been a trailblazer. The Drive Away Breast Cancer Initiative aims to raise awareness, reach out to women across the country, and educate them on breast self-examination and early detection. I congratulate the riders who joined our mission and touched the lives of thousands of women along the way. I hope the initiative spreads our message to the general public to be wary of breast cancer and to be aware of the symptoms in order to detect the disease at an early stage.”
The rising cases of breast cancer have shifted the focus towards spreading the right message and information about the need for regular screenings to reduce the mortality rate. Breast health still is not a topic of discussion among women .
Breast Cancer is a result of multiple factors which include environmental and lifestyle changes. In most cases, it is due to anomalies that arise out of the ageing process, while in 5-10% of the cases, it is genetically inherited. Early detection is the best protection against breast cancer. Regular self-examination and mammography at regular intervals have proven to be most effective in early diagnosis and in achieving better results in treatment and cure. Apollo Hospitals has been a pioneer in introducing comprehensive screening protocols for the early detection of breast cancer.
