Public awareness key to reduce breast cancer cases in Pakistan

Karachi: Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women and it is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in women, this was stated by experts during an awareness seminar held on Thursday at Dow Medical College.

It is estimated that one million cases of breast cancer are diagnosed globally, and it is the third most common, most prevalent cancer in women worldwide. 1 out of 9 Pakistani women is likely to suffer from breast cancer. The incidence breast carcinoma stands at 24.4% amongst Pakistani females. The leading cause of the development of breast cancer in Pakistani women is the lack of awareness among masses.

The seminar was organized by Dow University in collaboration with Surgical Unit – I in order to spread knowledge and create awareness on the subject.

Key speakers at the session included Vice Chancellor, DUHS, Prof Masood Hameed Khan, Prof Saeed Qureshi, Prof Naheed Sultan, Prof Adnan Aziz, Prof Rufina Soomro, Dr Amir Maqbool, and Dr Farha Idrees.

Prof Masood Hameed Khan stated that cancer is a very complex disease. Not only the patient, but his/her entire family suffers from its implications and complications. Early detection and proper treatment are keys to defeating breast cancer at early stage. He stressed the need to raise awareness to reduce the incidence of breast cancer in the country. He also asked the students and postgraduate trainees of the University to engage in voluntary health education campaigns, and to educate public in their neighborhood.

Prof Saeed Qureshi said that there is need to provide specialized services in order to reduce the number of breast cancer patients in Pakistan. He appreciated the efforts of Prof Naheed Sultan for inaugurating the breast cancer clinic at CHK.

Prof Naheed Sultan stated that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Breast cancer management is multidisciplinary, and different facilities have been introduced in the breast clinic at CHK to address the issue. He also requested Dow University to start fellowship program on breast cancer.

Later on, Dr Adnan Aziz, Prof Rufina Soomro, Dr Amir Maqbool and Dr Farha Idrees spoke on the management of breast cancer.