Breast cancer awareness

This refers to the letter, ‘Think pink’ (October 9) by Mahrukh Ibrahim. The writer has highlighted some very pertinent points regarding breast cancer, one of the major causes of deaths in women worldwide. Referring to the American Cancer Society, the writer pointed out that one in every eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. In Pakistan, over 40,000 women die annually due to breast cancer and this figure is gradually increasing with time. The major reason for this otherwise curable disease (90 percent success rate) is lack of awareness. The irony is that even a large number of educated women living in cities are unaware of the prevalence and causes of breast cancer.
There is therefore an urgent need to create awareness among people, women and girls in particular. Lectures/symposiums should be arranged to explain its causes and prompt diagnosis of the disease. The education ministry should include a chapter on the subject in biology textbooks at the secondary and higher secondary level. If these and other similar measures are implemented and adhered to, I am sure it would go a long way in not only creating awareness among people, but also in reducing the occurrence of the disease.
Group Captain (r) Saeed Nawaz Khan
Rawalpindi