KARACHI: Dow University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Muhammad Saeed Quraishy expressed concerns over alarming growth rate of breast cancer in Pakistan. He said that as a result of World Health Organization’s (WHO) measures, growth of cancer in Africa was now controlled and Pakistan must follow in the footsteps of Africa to get the menace under control.
The vice chancellor expressed these views while speaking as chief guest at a seminar held to create awareness about breast cancer by Dow Medical College & Civil Hospital Dr. Ruth Pfau Oncology Department.
Cancer treatment experts from various hospitals of the country presented their papers at the seminar. Professor Quraishy congratulated the organisers for holding the informative seminar and said such seminars should be encouraged as they raise awareness of the issues. Dow Medical College Principal Prof. Kartaar Dawani said breast cancer was fast growing cancer in women. One of eight women in a developed country like United States was suffering from the disease, he said. Dawani said that in 2012, breast cancer swallowed five million and twenty thousand lives in the world.
Prof. Saba Sohail said according to mammographic tests done in civil hospital, breast cancer had been rapidly spreading in women of age group 40 to 45 years. Forty thousand women were suffering from the disease in Karachi, the highest rate after Turkey, she said. She said when women reach the age of forty; they must be screened for breast cancer. Women with family history of breast cancer should have their screening done earlier, she said.
Professor Sughra Parveen said 80 to 90 thousand women annually suffer from breast cancer in Pakistan, while the mortality rates were forty thousand a year.
She said breast cancer rate in Pakistan was higher than other Asian countries.
Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College Prof. Rufina Soomro said, “When we are unable to diagnose breast cancer at an early age, we struggle to cure the cancer properly and unable to save the victim’s life in some cases”.
She said the cultural and social restrictions in Pakistan were also a hurdle in evaluation of the initial phase of the disease. She said the disease also affects men, but the rate of breast cancer in men was lower than in women. She said some people had even refused to marry girls who had a history of breast cancer in their family. Aga Khan University Medical College Professor Adnan A. Jabbar said the misconceptions of people about breast cancer were also problematic. Professor Javeria Mahmoud said a major of cause of cancer is obesity; simple diet and regular exercise can reduce the risks. Professor Dr. Noor Mohammad Soomro and Professor Sajida Qureshi also spoke at the occasion.
Published in Daily Times, October 21st 2017.
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