Blind women from India revolutionising early breast cancer detection

Meenakshi Gupta has been blind since birth. 

She has been trained in a unique skill that many doctors and patients often miss — the ability to detect the smallest lumps in a woman’s breast that may signal the early stages of cancer. 

Gupta is one of 30 blind women trained through Discovering Hands, a global initiative that equips visually impaired women to become Medical Tactile Examiners (MTEs). 

For the past two years, Gupta has been working as an MTE at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana, as part of a growing movement to improve early breast cancer detection in India.

Introduced to India in 2017, the Discovering Hands program has expanded to major hospitals in Bengaluru, Varanasi, Gurugram, and Delhi. In a country where mammography equipment is often scarce, especially in rural areas, the expertise of these MTEs is crucial.

Empowering through touch

The concept behind Discovering Hands is revolutionary yet simple: train blind women to detect abnormalities in breast tissue. 

Dr Frank Hoffman, a German gynaecologist, founded the program after observing how many early-stage breast cancer cases were being missed worldwide.

His vision led to the establishment of the first MTE training program in Germany, and the model has since spread globally. 

Gupta, like all the MTEs, underwent nine months of rigorous training — six months of classroom study focused on anatomy and clinical breast examination techniques, followed by a three-month internship. 

Additionally, she received mobility training, allowing her to navigate independently with her white cane, even through the often chaotic streets of Gurgaon.

Despite the challenges, Gupta feels the work is worth the effort. “This role gives me both independence and a sense of purpose. I know that my work can help save lives,” she says.

A transformative impact

The Discovering Hands program has proven to be a game changer in breast cancer screening. 

Studies show that MTEs are 30% more effective at detecting tissue changes than doctors. Their ability to detect lumps in the earliest stages — sometimes even before they appear on imaging scans — has been validated through several independent research efforts.

In 2023, a pilot study conducted by the University of Erlangen in Germany confirmed that MTEs performed breast exams with the same accuracy as doctors in identifying cancerous tumours. 

These findings were supported by Indian healthcare professionals like Dr D Pooja, a gynaecologist and CEO of Apar Health, who believes MTEs can make a significant difference, especially in low-resource settings.

“A Medical Tactile Examiner’s work is empowering, particularly when many women do not have access to mammograms,” says Dr. Pooja. “It also eases the burden on overcrowded hospitals and clinics.”

Overcoming challenges

For Gupta, the path to becoming an MTE wasn’t without its difficulties. 

An arts graduate, her only prior exposure to science had been in high school. “Learning about breast anatomy and conducting clinical exams was tough,” she admits. 

In training, she practised on silicone models and used skin-friendly tape to map the breast into four zones. Probing each zone with varying pressure, MTEs can locate lumps and document their findings, providing precise information for doctors to follow up.

“We examine the texture of each area — whether it’s hard or soft — and note the location, size, and shape of any lump we find,” explains Gupta. “But it’s not our role to diagnose whether a lump is cancerous.”

Despite her extensive training, Gupta recalls feeling overwhelmed when she first examined a live patient. “My hands were shaking,” she says, “I worried I might miss something important.” 

Over time, her confidence grew, and now she examines up to eight patients a day. On average, she flags one or two abnormalities each day for further examination.

Changing the landscape of breast cancer detection in India

India faces significant barriers when it comes to early breast cancer detection. 

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, breast cancer is the most common cancer among Indian women, causing about 75,000 deaths annually. Cultural stigmas around breast exams and limited access to mammography equipment are major hurdles.

This is where the Discovering Hands program has had a profound impact. 

Women are often more comfortable being examined by blind MTEs, and this reduces the stigma associated with breast exams. “The fact that these women are blind actually makes many patients feel less embarrassed,” notes Dr Kanchan Kaur, a breast cancer surgeon at Medanta Hospital.

In India, where breast cancer tends to occur at a younger age and late-stage diagnoses are common, early detection can save lives. Nearly half of the cases seen by Kaur are already in advanced stages, when the chances of survival diminish significantly. 

She believes the program holds enormous potential for India, where only one in two women diagnosed with breast cancer survives.

A hopeful future

The program has been spearheaded in India by two women: Shalini Khanna Sodhi, Founding Director of the National Association for the Blind’s Centre for Blind Women and Disability Studies, and Dr Kaur. 

Together, they have been instrumental in establishing the Discovering Hands initiative, providing opportunities for blind women to make a meaningful contribution to society while filling a crucial healthcare gap.

“The work these women are doing is vital,” says Sodhi. “They’re not only assisting doctors but also giving visually impaired women dignity and purpose.”

Yet, the program’s expansion is limited by funding. 

Currently, it costs about ₹2 lakh ($2,500) to train each MTE, with much of the program relying on private donations. “If we could expand this model, it could save so many more lives,” Sodhi says.