KARACHI: Concern over rising cancer cases brought experts from different medical fields together at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, demanding a ban on paan, chhalia, gutka and other hazardous concoctions to control ‘oral cancer epidemic’ in the province.

The event was organised by the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (Pima) in collaboration with the Radiation Oncology Society of Pakistan (ROSP), Pakistan Society of Clinical Oncology (PSCO), Pakistan Society of Otolaryngology (PSORL) and Cancer Foundation Hospital.

The speakers recommended reduction in chemotherapy prices, a national level oral cancer control programme, which should help build capacity of cancer treatment centres through finances, human resource and provide subsidised or free care.

“Breast and oral cancer cases make up more than two-third of our workload today. This is an alarming situation which needs immediate public and official attention,” Dr Abdullah Muttaqi of Pima said.

According to him, most cancer patients seek medical intervention when the disease has progressed to an advanced stage, raising risk for complication, morbidity and mortality.

“This also raises diagnostic and treatment costs significantly. All these factors highlight the need to create awareness about the diseases and enforce preventive strategies, where possible,” he said.

While breast cancer could involve risk factors beyond human control, 99 per cent of oral cancer could be prevented by effectively enforcing a ban on hazardous substances such as paan, chhalia, naswar and gutka.

Sharing his clinical experience, Prof Shaheen Malik representing PSORL said doctors were literally tired of dealing with so many oral cancer patients on a daily basis, the majority of whom belonged to the lower strata of the society.

“Outcomes of the surgery are often poor, greatly affecting the patient’s speech and the ability to swallow, requiring continued treatment. Such patients become a burden on the family and lose the capacity to play a productive role in the society,” he said.

According to him, the business of hazardous chewable products is flourishing especially in poverty-stricken areas where everyone including women and children are found hooked to the harmful substances.

“They act like an addiction. Patients say that these substances help them forget physical pain, hunger and life’s stresses. We fear that the consumption of these hazardous products would increase due to the country’s poor economic situation,” he added.

Dr Syed Ahmer Hamid associated with the Indus Hospital regretted that children above 10 years had been reporting with oral cancer signs such as mouth sore/s.

“They report in few numbers, though. Mouth sores, lumps or bumps on the lips, gums, cheek or other areas inside the mouth can turn into cancer,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2023