KARACHI: First Lady Samina Arif Alvi on Monday urged all citizens particularly women for spreading awareness about breast cancer as early detection of the deadly disease could save millions of precious lives.

Addressing a breast cancer awareness event at St. Joseph’s College for Women, Ms Alvi said despite being a curable disease, breast cancer was causing loss of millions of lives every year because of lack of awareness and late diagnosis.

She said that in Pakistan, approximately 90,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed every year with a high mortality rate.

“Breast cancer is not an incurable disease as it has over 98 per cent survival rate if diagnosed early in the first or second stage,” she said and added: “Late diagnosis is the major cause of high mortality rate due to breast cancer in the country.”

She noted it was a social stigma or taboo to speak about the disease which results into delayed diagnosis, enhanced complications and, in a number of cases, death of the patient.

Stressing on mass awareness, she said women must be informed about signs, self-examination, diagnosis as it is very simple and takes only five minutes.

Over the years, she said, facilities of diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer increased as well, and currently there were over 13 facilities offering mammography at discounted rates only in Karachi, and added that such facilities were also available in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Earlier, College Principal Sister Julie Pacheco commended Ms Alvi for her philanthropic services in various sectors including health and education.

Sister Angelina Francis and Sister Julie Pacheco also presented souvenir of the college to Ms Alvi.

Breast cancer awareness seminar

In another seminar held on breast cancer awareness by the Memon Professional Forum at the Karachi Gymkhana, Ms Alvi stressed that the breast cancer awareness must not be limited to the month of October only.

Ms Alvi said 50pc of the deaths caused by the breast cancer in Pakistan were due to the late diagnosis.

She said fortunately after the commencement of the awareness campaigns stigma attached to the disease had minimised and even a seminar regarding breast cancer was held in Wana, Waziristan, which indicate that taboo was declining rapidly.

Upon the presence of two survivors of breast cancer who highlighted the importance of self-examination and timely diagnosis in their addresses, the First Lady said their participation besides the doctors was encouraging.

She also emphasised upon sensitising men to participate in the campaign.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rufina Soomro said the breast cancer was the most common cancer among the women.

She said there was three-step approach required for good breast health that include self-examination, clinical examination and mammography.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2022