ISLAMABAD: Due to the advancement in medical science, survival rate among cancer patients has increased.

This was said by 60-year-old Yasmeen Jaseem, who suffered from vertebral column cancer and has now been declared free of the disease thanks to the continuous treatment and following doctors’ advice.

Talking to Dawn after a workshop at the Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), Ms Jaseem said after undergoing treatment she reached the conclusion that cancer was a reality and the patient should face it bravely.

“Women should frequently get themselves tested for all kinds of cancers, especially breast cancer. I used to have body ache but ignored them and in the end it emerged that I was suffering from vaginal cancer,” she added.

The workshop was held to create awareness of different types of cancers.

Ms Jaseen, a former MPA from Khyber Pakhtukhwa, said doctors should also give proper advice to patients and share with them all the possibilities regarding the disease.

“In 2009, I was operated upon for vaginal cancer. After that the doctor told me that I had recovered 92 per cent and it was up to me if I wanted to go for radiotherapy. I refused because I was scared of radiation,” she said.

“In 2010, while I was attending a meeting in Peshawar my legs were suddenly paralysed. I was shifted to a hospital where doctors informed me that I had vertebral column cancer,” she said. “I had lost hope but visited NORI where I went through radiations and chemotherapies and a surgery and now I have survived the disease,” she said.

Earlier, addressing the workshop, NORI Director Dr Javaid Irfan said the treatment of most of the cancers had become possible, especially if the disease was diagnosed at an early stage.

“Since 2007, I have not seen a single patient dying of cancer after being diagnosed at the early stage.”

He said 70 per cent of patients coming to NORI were women so the hospital staff consisted of 80 per cent females who treated them.

“Now we have started using cancer genetic testing to ascertain if cancer prevailed in a family,” he said.

Dr Irfan said the Patients Welfare Society of NORI had spent around Rs80 million on the treatment of patients during the last a few years. Medicines are provided to the patients at around 40 per cent discount because direct import has started. He said 70 per cent patients got free medicines.

The head of the oncology department at NORI, Dr Mohammad Faheem, said worldwide cancer survival rate had increased.

“In 2008 there were 12.7 million cancer patients all over the world, in 2012 that number increased to 14.7 million and will be 19.5 million in 2025. The disease’s rate has doubled in developing countries compared to the developed countries,” he said.

“Another problem in Pakistan is that cancer patients are not registered so we are not certain about their number. However cancer is curable if it is detected at the early stage,” he said.

Dr Faheem said people should eat fruits and vegetables which increased resistance against all kinds of cancers. Moreover, the use of tobacco should be avoided as annually six million people die because of smoking. Sheesha has 4,000 toxic elements, he said.

“Consultant oncologist Dr Humera Mahmood said last year 4,500 new cases of cancer were registered at NORI, out of which 800 were of breast cancer.

Published in Dawn October 4th, 2015

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