Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Pakistan. In 2020, it caused 5.5 per cent of the total deaths in the country. However, for a long time, health experts had no data relating to the type of cancer that is more prevalent in the country. Now, the National Cancer Registry (NCR) has found that breast cancer is the most common cancer found in the country among both men and women. Some estimates suggest that around 77 per cent of women over the age of 50 are affected by this type of cancer. The actual number of breast cancer patients across the country is hard to find. The taboo surrounding breast cancer, notably in young women, also means many do not point out symptoms, recognize the dangers or seek the treatment that they need. We need to solve this problem and encourage women to seek help. There should be regular tests for women (especially those whose families have had cancer cases) to detect the disease at the early stages, giving these women another chance at life. The registry has also noted that after breast cancer, cancers of the head and neck are common, most often among men because of the use of smokeless tobacco substances. Liver cancer is also found commonly with hepatitis B and C as one of the factors behind this.
The high rate of cancer in Pakistan is essentially linked to lifestyle, and there is an urgent need to introduce several lifestyle changes if healthcare authorities are keen on bringing down the rate of this life-threatening disease. To achieve this, awareness campaigns should be held – starting from education institutions – so that people know when they should consult their doctor and what symptoms they must look for. In a data-starved country, we do not know how many people possibly die of cancer without ever being diagnosed. The problem is obviously a big one in Pakistan, but there are successes. There has been a reduction in the cases of lung cancer mainly because of Sindh’s smokeless tobacco control policy.
This is just the beginning but the fact that we have begun talking about cancer and observing occasions such as Pink Ribbon Day is a step in the right direction. We must move further away from habits which lead to cancer, and the government should take proactive measures to reduce cancer cases across the country. Health experts must inform people about healthy eating habits and other lifestyle changes – regular exercise, etc. While seeing a doctor regularly is important, there should be affordable tests for people in both privately run and public-sector hospitals. It is worth mentioning that hospitals in Pakistan face the problem of staff shortages. The number of healthcare professionals is inefficient to meet the growing needs of people. It is on the government to tackle these challenges and make efforts to reduce cancer rates throughout the country.
