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A study among over 12,000 women revealed that women who went to multiple centres to perform breast health assessment were left with inaccurate diagnosis and had to repeat tests.
The analysis by the Chennai Breast Centre revealed that when tests are conducted across multiple centres in a fragmented manner, a significant proportion of breast cancer diagnoses is missed or misdiagnosed.
Presented earlier this month at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the results highlighted serious gaps in diagnosis, inaccurate readings, and discordance in multi-centre evaluations. The results indicate that a one-stop integrated centre model is the most effective approach in India, according to a press release.
The study was led by Selvi Radhakrishna, Senior Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon, and Debashri Shankarraman, Consultant Breast Surgeon, Chennai Breast Centre.
Dr. Selvi said, emphasising the need for a workable model: “In India awareness about breast cancer is limited and many women hesitate or do not prioritise their health, late diagnosis is common. Even when women do come forward, the current fragmented diagnostic pathway is not effective. Typically, a woman notices a lump, visits a clinic for a check-up, is sent elsewhere for imaging, and then to another lab for a biopsy. Each step requires separate appointments, long waits, travel, and paperwork, which delays diagnosis, increases the risk of errors, and can result in patients dropping out before completing all necessary tests.”
She said, in the study, among 12,156 patients aged 12 to 93 years, over 50% of those who had already done imaging required repeat scans, including 495 patients whose external imaging had to be reassessed. Only 11% of patients under 40 took mammograms. Among 479 patients with prior external biopsies, 120 (25.1%) required repeat biopsies, of which 75 (62.5%) were malignant and 45 (37.5%) benign. She said these results underscore the urgent need for accurate, coordinated diagnostic evaluation.
Dr. Selvi emphasised that single, integrated breast cancer centres have been proven to be more efficient. Clear quality standards and accreditation systems should be in place to ensure accurate and reliable diagnostic processes in these units.
“In a typical one-stop centre, all diagnostic steps — clinical examination, imaging, and biopsy, if needed — are completed under one roof, in a single coordinated visit. The complete assessment could be done in about 125 minutes, with biopsy reports being available within 72 hours, enabling definitive treatment planning within just 2-3 visits. This approach reduces waiting time, minimises errors by having the same team review all results, and provides women in India, where travel, cost, and time are often major barriers, with access to life-saving care within days rather than weeks,” she said in a release.
The study noted that the breast cancer burden in India is steadily rising, with nearly 2,50,000 new cases and over 1,00,000 deaths reported in 2024.
“India urgently needs single, integrated one-stop centres with strong policy oversight and quality standards to ensure accurate and timely breast cancer diagnosis,” Dr. Selvi added.
Published – December 25, 2025 02:54 pm IST
