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Dr. Shama inspires hope in battle against breast cancer
Sunday Island
|November 16, 2025
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Sri Lanka. Annually, out of approximately 37,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients nearly 27% are attributed to female breast cancer. In contrast male breast cancer is significantly rarer, observed at a ratio of about 1:100 compared to female cases. On a daily basis, the statistics translate to approximately 15 new female breast cancer patients being detected with sadly three fatalities due to this disease.
An excerpt from an interview with Dr Shama Goonatilleke, Consultant Oncologist at Asiri Surgical Hospital
Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women. What trends are you seeing locally in terms of age, risk and incidence?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Sri Lanka. Annually, out of approximately 37,000 newly diagnosed cancer patients nearly 27% are attributed to female breast cancer: In contrast male breast cancer is significantly rarer, observed at a ratio of about 1:100 compared to female cases.
On a daily basis, the statistics translate to approximately 15 new female breast cancer patients being detected with sadly three fatalities due to this disease. An excerpt from an interview with Dr Shama Goonatilleke, Consultant Oncologist at Asiri Surgical Hospital
Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women. What trends are you seeing locally in terms of age, risk and incidence?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Sri Lanka. Annually, out of approximately 37 000 newly diagnosed cancer patients, nearly 27% are attributed to female breast cancer. In contrast, male breast cancer is significantly rarer, observed at a ratio of about 1:100 compared to female cases.
On a daily basis, the statistics translate to approximately 15 new breast cancer patients being detected, with sadly, three fatalities due to this disease.
In Sri Lanka, the key trends for breast cancer show a significant increase in incidence, particularly affecting older, postmenopausal women, and a growing prevalence of lifestyle-related risk factors.
The age-standardized incidence rate for female breast cancer in Sri Lanka has shown a steady and significant increase over the years, rising from 18.4 per 100,000 in 2005 to 34.4 per 100,000 in 2019. A gradual increase of approximately 4% per year was observed between 2001 and 2010, with the trend expected to continue.
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