LAHORE, March 3: The Cancer Research Group (CRG), Pakistan, has decided starting of a research to establish the optimum dosage of drugs for breast cancer patients at advanced stage.
This decision was made by CRG in its 11th meeting presided over by principal coordinator Prof Dr Shaharyar at Pakistan Society of Clinical Oncology office. Oncologists Prof Abrar Javed, Maj-Gen Badsha Khan, Dr Ijaz Husain Shah, Dr Ahmad Usman, Dr Sohail Murad, Dr Muneebur Rehman, Dr Muhammad Hafeez and Dr Khalid Shabbir attended the meeting.
The CRG decided that the selection of patients for the research trial would begin from the middle of this month and preliminary results would be available by the end of next year.
The group also discussed the rising cost of treatment of cancer in Pakistan and stressed on providing modern treatment on cost-effective basis.
The meeting anticipated that the successful completion of this trial would enable the physicians to treat advanced breast cancer patients at half of existing cost using most modern drug therapy.
RECOMMENDATION: The Pakistan Society of Clinical Oncology’s curriculum committee has strongly recommended that at least 125 hours be allocated in undergraduate curriculum with compulsory three-week clinical attendance in cancer wards.
The PSCO executive council discussed undergraduate medical curriculum being implemented in various institutions by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and Higher Education Commission.
The council observed that in five years’ MBBS curriculum, only 25 hours had been allocated for the study of radiotherapy and oncology.
The council also noted with concern that one compulsory question in final year of MBBS surgery paper, which used to cover the areas of radiotherapy, had now been abolished.
It said the PSCO was aware of the magnitude of the cancer problem and the rapidly expanding burden of patients in Pakistan and felt that the fresh medical graduates must be made aware of the methods of prevention, early diagnosis, treatment modalities and rehabilitation of patients.