LAHORE: We are obsessed with curing cancer but forgetting the patient and this lack of empathy is criminal, says Dr Azra Raza, the professor of Medicine at the Columbia University, oncologist and cancer researcher.

Speaking at the launch of her latest book –The First Cell–by the Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest online, she said the crux of her argument was that we needed to spare more thought and effort for the patient, as well.

In conversation with Shaukat Khanum Hospitals CEO Dr Aasim Yusuf, Ms Raza, who had an experience of four decades, said she was speaking from her personal experience – her husband died of cancer.

“Unless we convey the extent of human anguish, we would not be doing justice to the patient or to the field. We are trained not to get involved, but the patients demand empathy.”

Dr Azra Raza argued that oncology was successfully treating 60pc of all patients of cancer but the 40pc who were left behind had a little hope.

“We are still using the decades old techniques of slash, poison and burn. This is untenable,” she said.

Noting that trillions had been spent on cancer research in the last few decades, Dr Raza said that no new insights had been found to either prevent cancer or improve its treatment. She argued that in order to contain cancer “we must locate the first cell, without which we will never be able to overcome it”. She pointed out this was not a new or radical idea it had been ignored in cancer research.

“We need to develop the technology which detects the first cell of cancer so that we can cure the people even before they reach stage-I,” she exclaimed.Speaking of the future direction, Dr Raza underscored that young scientists held the key to breakthrough research. However, since promotions and grants did not come where risks were taken and very few were eager to be experimental, she lamented and concluded that attitude towards cancer and cancer research needed to be changed if humans were to ever control this deadly disease.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2021