KARACHI: Sharing concern over the increasing number of breast cancer cases in the world including Pakistan, a group of leading health experts at a webinar held on Thursday said the incidence of this disease in Pakistan was even higher than India and Afghanistan, underscoring the need for creating awareness and timely diagnosis, which could help raise the dismally low survival rate from a treatable disease.

The event was organised by the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pink Ribbon Youth Awareness Programme.

According to experts, developed and middle-income countries are treating breast cancer with a success rate of up to 80 per cent and 60pc, respectively.

In developing countries like Pakistan, however, only 40pc cases met success and the main reason for low survival was lack of awareness and, resultantly, prolonged delay in seeking proper treatment.

“It’s one of the most frequent cancers in women. A monthly self-examination of breasts is important for early diagnosis that should start from 20 years of age while women above 40 years should opt for annual breast cancer screening with mammograms (x-rays of the breast),” said Prof Farhat Jalil heading the breast cancer unit at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi.

If women notice any symptoms such as lumps or tumour, they should immediately contact a specialist, she added.

Prof Jalil rejected the perception that needle biopsy or mammography was harmful for human health.

According to speakers, though it’s not possible to prevent the disease, early diagnosis not only saves lives but also minimizes chances of complications, including a situation in which the entire breast is removed.

The treatment, they said, included surgery, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy while risk factors for breast cancer included getting older, family history of breast or ovarian cancer and personal history of breast cancer or non-cancerous breast diseases.

“The incidence of the disease is higher in Pakistan with 23.2 cases per 100,000 women as compared to Afghanistan with 18.4 cases per 100,000 women and India with 13.4 cases per 100,000 women,” said Prof Omaima Saleem.

Dr Masooma Zaidi said breast cancer today was being successfully treated with modern treatments with the help of which lumps of up to 40mm could be removed easily.

Dr Asghar Hussain, Dr Shaista Masood Khan and Prof Noor Mohammad Soomro also spoke.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2020