Webinar on breast cancer awareness

Islamabad : The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) conducted a webinar on ?Breast Cancer Awareness: Give Hope, Save Lives? here on Sunday contributing to the global campaign of creating necessary awareness among masses, says a press release.

Held virtually owing to the COVID-19 concerns, the webinar was joined by a number of experts and participants. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador (r) Fauzia Nasreen (Adviser at COMSATS) emphasised on the measures that should be taken for overcoming lack of knowledge, appropriate facilities, family support and fear related to cancer in the society.

She remarked that early diagnosis, access to proper medical facilities, affordable and timely care were the cornerstones of breast cancer control. She warned to take breast cancer seriously and learn about the techniques of self-diagnosis for an early detection of the disease. Dr Samina Naeem, ex-Associate Prof of Health Services Academy, and consultant at WHO, Pakistan, gave a comprehensive overview of the disease and stressed upon the importance of breaking the stereotypes and taboos related to it.

A survivor’s perspective also came from Dr Fauzia Cheema, who shared the story of her experience of battling breast cancer from a point of view of a doctor facing the disease. Hers was an educational account and objective overview of healthcare system’s problems related to treatment of the disease and related social and psychological aspects. In her keynote address, Dr. Farheen Raza, from Radiology Department of PIMS Hospital Islamabad, emphasized on screening and the need to have community-based health education component including focused and small group discussions to overcome the social taboos and stigma attached to female illnesses.