‘Pakistan has highest incidence of breast cancer in Asia’

Experts say oncothermia is a proven treatment option for cancer patients with solid tumours

Karachi 

Pakistan has the highest incidence of breast cancer in Asia where one in eight women faces breast cancer at some stage in her life. More than 80,000 people die due to cancer in Pakistan, including 40,000 from breast cancer.

This was stated by Prof Syed Hasan Manzoor Zaidi, an expert of oncothermia, an unconventional system of cancer treatment, while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of The Oncothermia Clinics in the Clifton area.

Prof Zaidi said cancer was the second leading cause of death in Pakistan, and highlighted that every year some three million cancer patients were reported in Pakistan.

The number of cancer patients in Pakistan was increasing by eight to 10 percent per year, he said and added that The Oncothermia Clinics is first cancer treatment centre in South Asia, including Pakistan, to offer oncothermia technology as a leading edge, proven treatment option for cancer patients with solid tumours (irrespective its type, its location, stage and size or its metastatic status).

Oncothermia was developed in Europe 20 years ago. Since that time, oncothermia has been accepted by a large number of oncological practitioners and institutions as a viable and successful treatment option.

Presently, oncothermia is used in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and North America. More than 100,000 oncothermia treatments are conducted yearly and have delivered remarkable increases in life expectancy and quality of life.

The clinic’s inaugural ceremony was attended by leading oncologists, hospital administrators, physicians, medical superintendents and pathologists.

Professor Ahmed Usman also spoke at the audience. He said that most of the untreated Hepatitis B and C cases turned into liver cancer.

“Early detection of cancer greatly increases chances of successful treatment,” he said.

Professor Usman also reviewed oncothermia role in pancreatic, liver, lung and brain tumours, and said that oncothermia clinics would play a vital role in the treatment and management of modern cancer care.

Later, the chief guest, along with CEO Faisal Akram Khan and Founder Chairman Arif Ali Shah Bukhari, took an extensive round of the Oncothermia Clinic and its constituents units, including an oncothermia treatment room with its live demonstration, multi-disciplinary lab, chemotherapy, recovery room and pharmacy. 

Arif Ali Shah Bukhari said that 40 percent of deaths due to cancer could be prevented if the disease was diagnosed early.

He also said that Pakistan had the highest oral squamous cell carcinoma or oral cancer rate in Asia as well. “We surpassed India a few years back and as far as I know currently only we have one cancer registry at the JPMC, Karachi, keeping a track of oral cancer.”

He further added that in the near future oncothermia clinics and its services would be extended to all major cities of Pakistan.