Under the initiative - Prayas - patients from the lower income strata will receive some medications free of cost, Rajendra Badwe, Director of Tata Memorial Centre, said inaugurating the programme along with Franz Humer, Chairman of Roche, a leading global healthcare firm.
"Of the 1,00,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed every year in India, around 20-25 per cent are estimated to be Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2) positive.
This form of breast cancer is relatively resistant to hormonal treatment and has a higher rate of recurrence," Badwe said.
The treatment for this sub-type of breast cancer has improved considerably in the recent years with the use of chemotherapy and targeted therapy, he said.
The launch of 'Prayas' coincided with the World Health Day.
"Roche India is supporting this initiative and taking a big step towards making the dream of inclusive healthcare management a reality in India," Badwe said.
Published 07 April 2011, 12:39 IST