Early diagnosis key to survival from breast cancer

LAHORE: Speakers at a cancer awareness seminar have called upon the young girls to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, saying there is a frightening increase in the ratio of breast cancer in young girls in Pakistan due to inappropriate diet and unhealthy lifestyles.

“The situation is getting more and more critical every year, and the only key to survival from this fatal disease is a precaution or early detection,” said clinical oncologist Dr Nimrah Nadeem while addressing the seminar at the Government College University, Lahore.

The one-day seminar was organised by the University’s Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) in collaboration with the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC).

Dr Nimrah Nadeem said every woman was at risk of developing breast cancer irrespective of class, creed or gender but the factor that put some women at greater risk was family histories of breast cancer, inappropriate diet and an inactive lifestyle. She said 1 in every 9 women was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She advised students to exercise for 30 minutes daily, maintain a balanced diet full of antioxidants i.e. vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, green tea, and fish, and avoid smoking, drugs, alcohol consumption and hormone replacement therapies.

The clinical oncologist also briefed the students about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and methods of self-examination, saying they must be mindful of any changes in their breast and armpit areas. She dispelled the impression that cancer was spread by sharing clothes, direct contact with patients, caffeine, cell-phones or by the microwaves.

Addressing the seminar, GCU QEC Director Iram Sohail, said that the month of October was marked in countries across the world as breast cancer awareness month for early detection and treatment. She said that currently there wasn’t sufficient knowledge of breast cancer in Pakistan; therefore, more awareness campaigns were needed to be launched for this purpose at the national level. She asked the students to work as volunteers in their families to raise awareness among their female family members. She believed breast cancer was not fatal; rather it was ignorance which made it fatal. “Early detection can result in the survival rate of 98 percent”, she added.

Later, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah presented shields and souvenirs to the speakers of the seminar which was also attended by SKMCH&RC Regional Manager Masrur Lodhi.

anti-measles: Social Welfare Department, NGOs and the members of civil society will extend full cooperation to health department Punjab for making 12-day Anti Measles Campaign a successful event by reaching every child of six month to seven year of age. For this purpose, NGOs will work a social mobiliser and create awareness among the people especially parents to get their children vaccinated.

It was announced in a joint meeting of the officers of health department and the representatives of NGOs in the office of DGHS here today. Dr Shakeel, Dr Rana Suhail, Usman Ghani, Huma Khawer and a large number of NGOs representatives were present in the meeting.

Dr Shakeel, Dr Suhail and Usman briefed the participants about the campaign and work plan. They said NGOs were in coordination with the masses and could use their influence to convince people for getting their children vaccinated.

Health department is in coordination with other departments including social welfare, education department and the NGOs. Meanwhile, Provincial Minister for Human Right & Minority Affairs Aijaz Alam has lauded the initiative of Punjab government to launch a 12-day ‘Anti Measles Campaign’ from Oct 15.

During the campaign 19 million children from the age of six month to seven year will be vaccinated for which 15,000 teams have been constituted. The minister advised people to get benefit from this opportunity by vaccinating their children against measles free of cost.