PESHAWAR: Experts have called for better public awareness of and access to health services to prevent breast cancer that claims over 90,000 lives annually nationwide.

“Around 40-45pc of breast cancer patients are diagnosed with the disease at the most severe stage4 when it’s incurable. Women should undergo mammography once a year after reaching the age of 40 years,”Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon Dr Amjad Ali Khan said during a function at the Khyber Medical University the other day.

The event was part of the National Institute of Health and Care Research, a UK-sponsored programme for carrying out research on the connection between cancer and mental illness in collaboration with Public Health Association (PHA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, University of Manchester and Pakistan Institute of Living & Learning (PILL).

Dr Khan noted that in Western countries, only five per cent women are diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer due to widespread screening.

Say breast cancer survival rate is 40-50pc in Pakistan, 90-95pc in the West

He said the breast cancer survival rate was 40-50 per cent in Pakistan and 90-95pc in the West.

Another expert, Dr Tayyeba Kiran, said the project aimed at scaling up awareness regarding prevention of breast cancer and doing away with the stigma, myths and half-truths surrounding the disease.

“We are taking cancer survivors from all over the country on board to reduce the element of depression and anxiety through involvement of psychiatrists.

“Disturbance starts when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer that causes mental issues, especially loneliness and helplessness, warranting psych-social support. We are also enlisting students’ support to do away with the stigma associated with this disease,” she said.

Peshawar’s deputy district health officer Dr Zafar Ali Khan said two breast cancer screening centres had been established in the province, one each in Swat and Dera Ismail Khan.

“The health department is involving lady health workers to ensure that the women start self-examination and stay safe from this disease,” he said.

Psychiatrist Dr Mohammad Irfan called for better knowledge of breast cancer to increase awareness.

“We can educate people only when we know the problem,” he said.

Expert Lubna Khan said Pakistan was among the countries with the most breast cancer cases.

“Every ninth woman risks breast cancer and there is a need to educate brothers, sisters, mothers and husbands about this disease because they’re supposed to support breast cancer patients in their families,” she said.

Prof Kamran Siddique of the York University UK said the stigma about breast cancer was destroying families, so prevention was the only way out to save lives.

Psychiatrist Prof Najma Siddiqui said breast cancer caused severe depression, leading to high mortality and therefore, the community’s involvement was direly needed to address the problem.

Former parliamentarians Sumaira Shams, Ravi Kumar and Dr Saima Abid of the PHA also spoke on the occasion.

Cancer survivor Dr Zobia Afsheen, who has authored a book on how she managed the situation after being diagnosed with breast cancer, narrated her ordeal during treatment.

She said she had lost her sister to the disease and encountered harsh attitudes herself but didn’t lose hope.

“Now, I’m campaigning to urge people to change their attitude towards breast cancer patients.Cancer doesn’t kill and instead, the people’s negative attitude kills,” she said.

VC Prof Ziaul Haq praised the government for allocating RsR1.6 billion for the KMU’s hospital in the current year’s budget but sought more money to start breast cancer screening on 15 sub-campuses.

He said the government’s announcement about the release of Rs20 million this year wasn’t enough to implement the plans to strengthen healthcare services across the province.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2025