Early detection, healthy lifestyle must to fight cancer

Islamabad
Cancer experts Tuesday re-emphasised the importance of timely diagnosis for the cure of cancer. Cancer is 90 per cent curable if detected on time, they stated while advising people to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle check for cancer signs, and lead a simple life.
The occasion was a public awareness seminar organised by Shifa International Hospital (SIH) here Tuesday in connection with World Cancer Day. A free screening camp was also organized to check for early breast cancer risks among women. Dr. Reshma Aziz held tests and advised visiting women on prevention.
During the presentations, experts informed the gathering that cancer is rapidly spreading in developing countries like Pakistan, and is likely to become the commonest cause of death by 2020.
Dr. Kamran Rasheed, consultant medical oncologist at SIH said, cancer occurs when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. Although there are many kinds of cancer, they all develop because of uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells. “It has the tendency to spread in different parts of the body.” He said, cancer can be treated through various methods including surgery, radiation treatment, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and bone marrow transplant. “But prevention is certainly better than cure,” Dr. Kamran remarked.
Dr. Kamran added that people over 30 years of age are more vulnerable to the disease. An estimated 0.2 million people become cancer patients in Pakistan every year. Thickening or lump in the body, particularly in breast, an injury that is not healing, unusual bleeding or discharge, indigestion or trouble swallowing, irritating cough and hoarseness, obvious changes in moles or warts, change in bathroom habits, weight and hunger loss, and fever are some of the warning signs for cancer. A person who experiences any of these symptoms must opt for cancer tests and proper diagnosis on the advice of a cancer expert, he said.
Dr Saira Hassan, consultant medical oncologist at SIH said, anyone can get cancer. With reference to breast cancer, she said, it is a tumor (a mass of abnormal tissue) within the breast tissue. She said breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women worldwide. Pakistan has the highest incidence of breast cancer in Asia. “The best way to fight this cancer is to detect it early,” Dr. Saira remarked.
Dr. Saira said one in eight women is at the risk of developing breast cancer in her life. She added that in a majority of women, breast cancer is first noticed as a lump in the breast. However, swelling of the upper arm or swelling or lump in the armpit can also be the signs of breast cancer. She said early detection is the best option. The best way to detect is to perform monthly breast selfexam (BSE), she informed the audience. Dr. Saira said, a regular BSE takes only five minutes, and if done correctly, may detect a possible breast problem.
Consultant radiation oncologist at SIH Dr. Muhammad Farrukh said, an estimated 32.6 million people are living with cancer worldwide. “Pakistan is the 7th most populous country where more than 340,000 living cancer patients have increased in the past five years,” he said.
Dr. Farrukh said, tobacco smoking, ‘sheesha’, alcohol, immune suppression, family history, environment, excessive exposure to sunlight, and infections are some of the risks for developing cancer. He said, timely screening, active and healthy lifestyle and protection from avoidable risk factors can protect people from all types of cancer.
Consultant general surgeon at SIH Dr. Qamar Hafeez Kiani said surgery plays a key role in treatment and diagnosis of cancer and ascertainment of its impact. Surgery offers the greatest chance for the cure of many types of cancer, especially those that have not spread to other parts of the body. In most cases, the only way to know if a person has cancer is by taking out a piece of tissue and testing it. This process is called biopsy. Dr. Qamar dismissed the common myth that cancer spreads if exposed to air during surgery.