Creation of central cancer registry and mass screening need of the hour

Islamabad
As many as 4,318 new cancer patients were registered at the Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI) during 2014; of these, 810 had breast cancer. The number of follow-up cases during the year was a staggering 44,469. Even though the number of cancer patients is persistently on the rise, not necessarily because of an actual increase in incidence but also because of availability of improved treatment and awareness services, Pakistan still has a long way to go before it can truly claim a breakthrough in its fight against cancer.
An acute realisation to this effect was experienced at a ceremony marking the inauguration of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month here at NORI on Saturday. Every year in October, NORI holds a series of events, not only to spread messages of hope and courage among cancer patients but also to promote screening for early diagnosis. Each year, a wakeup call is given for the creation of a central cancer registry; the establishment of dedicated breast clinics in tertiary care hospitals; and expansion of treatment and screening facilities at the population level. An alarm is raised every October, only to be muted and ignored.
Yet, NORI does not tire; ‘Together we can’ its Oncology Department keeps telling patients in a bid to dispel the impression of cancer being a death warrant. It has now become a tradition at NORI to dedicate a whole month for awareness about the importance of screening for breast cancer. While the purpose of the event was to raise an alert for a disease affecting so many women, it achieved much more than just that.
The ceremony had Najia Aizaz, wife of secretary foreign affairs, as the chief guest, Nigar Javed, wife of Member Science, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, as the guest of honour. Other prominent personalities included Mrs. Brig. Sajjad (DG COPD, SPD) and Samia Zia and Fazeelat Aslam, wives of member engineering and member technical PAEC, respectively. Breast cancer survivors were the ‘genuine pearls’ of the occasion; they courageously shared their experiences, and while each survivor had a different story to narrate, the concluding message was one of hope and faith.
Najia Aizaz appreciated the efforts of doctors for public awareness about breast cancer and urged the media to play its due role in propagating the campaign and addressing common ambiguities about the disease. She shared the role that she played as a caregiver of her husband during his fight against cancer, and particularly appreciated the services provided by NORI in general and the Oncology Department in particular.
Nigar Javed advised the audience to acquire knowledge about the disease. She said, Pakistan’s best cancer consultants are affiliated with the 18 cancer hospitals of PAEC.
The head of the Oncology Department Dr. Muhammad Faheem presented statistics of last year’s breast cancer screening exercise. “More than 10 per cent females were diagnosed with breast cancer during last year’s screening campaign,” he recollected, emphasizing the importance of screening. He praised survivors for proving that there can be life after breast cancer.
Eminent gynecologist Dr Nasira Tasneem told the audience about screening for gynecological cancers, which are also increasing at an alarming pace. She shared information about various lifesaving prevention techniques, early detection, increased screening, and other tests.
Consultant oncologist Dr. Humera Mahmood, who has a special interest in breast cancer, highlighted the importance of screening and emerging changes in the field of oncology. “Cancer screening is an attempt to detect unsuspected cancers in high-risk population. Screening tests suitable for a large number of healthy people must be relatively affordable, safe and noninvasive, with acceptably low rates of false positive results. If signs of cancer are detected, more definitive and invasive follow-up tests are performed to confirm the diagnosis,” she maintained.
Dr. Humera also talked about the risk factors of breast cancer and called for the adoption of a healthy lifestyle; quitting smoking can prevent one-third of all cancers, she said. The oncologist also shared tips for breast self-examination, and encouraged women to fight the disease with courage. She also dismissed several myths and misconceptions about cancer.
Dr. Humera termed as “need of the hour,” measures including national collaboration for research in the field of breast cancer; introduction of genetic studies at least in major cities; involvement of Lady Health Workers, GPs, and gynecologists in early detection and referral to oncologists; inclusion of basic information about cancer in the curriculum of Matric and F.Sc; and teaching of oncology at the undergraduate level.
Earlier, while delivering the welcome address, NORI’s director Dr. Javaid Irfan highlighted the services being provided at the hospital for different cancers in general and breast cancer in particular. “NORI is equipped with a vast array of sophisticated medical and laboratory equipment. The facility is providing 161 tests in the area of hematology, clinical chemistry, immunology, and PCR. All systems are barcode readable; lab information system is fully automated and EQA enrolled,” he shared. Dr. Javaid assured the audience to tell breast cancer to step aside as NORI is there to support them.
In the end, mementos were presented to the survivors and a walk was organized to express solidarity with patients. Free consultation, clinical examination and mammography facilities with educational material were also provided on the occasion. The event not only served as a platform to address common myths about breast cancer but also opened a window of optimism for patients. All guests were decorated with pink ribbon badges at the reception desk.