The Breast Cancer Burden in Sri Lanka
An Acrylic Painting
Breast cancer is a dominant diagnosis among women globally. The incidence of breast cancer has been decreasing over the last few decades in developed nations; however, the opposite is true for developing countries such as Sri Lanka (2). The burden of breast cancer in Sri Lanka is uncomfortably high, with about 3,000 new cases diagnosed each year (1). This increase is especially prevalent among post-menopausal women (2). This painting serves to illustrate the story and spread awareness of the breast cancer burden in Sri Lanka. One can note the central Sri Lankan woman, with some grey hair pointing towards the older demographic that breast cancer typically affects. She is surrounded by the breast cancer awareness ribbon, and the colour streaks found in the Sri Lanka national flag. This painting advocates for further research and interventions needed to be done to combat the rising cases of Breast Cancer in Sri Lanka.
- Balawardena J, Skandarajah T, Rathnayake W, Joseph N. Breast cancer survival in Sri Lanka. JCO Global Oncology. 2020 Apr;6:589-99.
- Fernando A, Jayarajah U, Prabashani S, Fernando EA, Seneviratne SA. Incidence trends and patterns of breast cancer in Sri Lanka: an analysis of the national cancer database. BMC cancer. 2018 Dec;18(1):1-6.