40,000 women suffering from

October 21, 2017

KARACHI – Health experts expressed concerns over an alarming growth rate of breast cancer in Pakistan and pointed out that as a result of WHO measures, growth of cancer in Africa was controlled.

“In the same way, Pakistan must follow the footsteps of Africa to get rid of this menace in Pakistan on the same lines,” they shared these views while addressing a seminar organised by Oncology Department of Dr Ruth Pfau Civil hospital Karachi.

Vice Chancellor, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Prof Dr Mohammed Saeed Quraishy said breast cancer cases were on the rise in Pakistan, but prevalence of such cases could be controlled thorough World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.

He congratulated the organiser for holding informative seminar and said that through such seminars, the process of awareness would continue.

On this occasion, Principal, Dow Medical College, Prof Kartaar Dawani said that breast cancer is a fast-growing cancer in women and its rate is 25 percent, one of eight women in the developed country like the United States, is suffering from the disease. He said that in women of developed countries, breast cancer is more than hundred times faster than men. He said that in 2012, breast cancer swallowed five million and twenty thousand lives in the world.

Prof Saba Sohail said that according to the mammographic test in Civil Hospital, it is rapidly spreading women in age group of 40 to 45 years of women, 40,000 women are suffering from the disease in Karachi and the rate is highest after Turkey.

She said that when women reaching forty years must be screened for breast cancer. Women with breast cancer family history should do their screening at the earliest.

Prof Sughra Parveen said that 80 to 90 thousand women annually suffer from breast cancer in Pakistan, while the mortality rates are forty thousand a year. She said that the risk of breast cancer is increases the first delivery in after forty year of age.

She said that breast cancer in Pakistanis higher than other Asian countries, every woman in Pakistan under the threat of this deadly disease, every one in eight women suffering in breast cancer.

Prof Rufeena Soomro said that we are unable to diagnoses breast cancer in early age, these cases reported in advance stage, we are unable to save their life or cure properly.

Further, she told that the cultural and social restrictions in Pakistan also hurdle in the evaluation of the initial phase of this disease, she said that this disease also occurs in men’s, but it has five to ten percent chances of heredity, People do not marry those girls due to a misconception in Pakistan whose mother has a disease that causes another social crisis.

Prof Adnan Jabbar said that the wrong concepts of people are also the cause of spreading the disease. Some people say that it spreads from biopsy, cancer if it is diagnosed on zero stage, it can be controlled by 100 percent.95 percent of the lives are likely to survive on the early stage, while on second stage 93 percent on third stage 72 percent, and the fourth stage only 22 percent chances of survival.

Prof Javeria Mahmoud said that due to the major cause of cancer is obesity, simple diet and regular exercise can reduce its risks.

Prof Noor Mohammad Soomro said that the month of October is being celebrated as a cancer case. Prof Sajida Qureshi also spoke on the occasion.

The Nation