LAHORE: Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (Inmol) organised on Saturday a gynaecological cancer symposium on the occasion of celebrating 30 years of the cancer institute with collaboration of Roche and Pakistan Society of Clinical Oncologists.

Oncologist from all over the country, especially doctors of Inmol, Shaukat Khanum, Jinnah, Mayo, Fatima Memorial, Faisalabad’s Allied hospitals participated in the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Inmol Director Dr Abu Bakr Shahid said the hospital which had started functioning in 1984 completed its 30-year journey by providing treatment to deserving cancer patients.

He said: “The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission is running 18 cancer hospitals in Pakistan and Inmol is one of the largest health facilities among them. These hospitals have been sharing 80 per cent of workload of cancer diseases in Pakistan. We also provide postgraduate diplomas of FCPS in four departments.”

Ghurki Trust Hospital’s surgery department head Dr Nabila Shami delivered a lecture on ‘updates on surgical management of ovarian cancer’ saying that approximate 9,000 women every year are found to have ovarian cancer in Pakistan.

Dr Neelam Siddiqui, consultant oncologist at Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, spoke of ‘emerging therapies in the management of ovarian cancer’ saying that the chemotherapy and its various methods can play a significant role for the survival of the women with this cancer format.

Dr Zeba Aziz of Hameed Latif Hospital emphasised the need to educate the patients and their immediate attendants about the kind of cancer disease, its impact and treatment mode.

Inmol’s Dr Misbah Masood delivered a lecture on ‘management of endometrial cancer’, the role of radiation therapy and different stages of cancer.

Dr Amira Shami from Inmol talked of ‘management of cervical cancer’ saying that vaccine played a significant role in preventing this disease. She said according to global statistics out of 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer appeared every year, 233,000 deaths took place.

In the end, Dr Abu Bakr cut a cake.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2014