Call to set up more cancer hospitals

LAHORE

The oncology experts have called upon the government to establish more cancer hospitals to help effectively combat growing cancer diseases in the country.

“People must also adopt preventive measures to avoid this painful, expensive and fatal disease by following the adage ‘prevention is better than cure’” the oncology experts while addressing a seminar on “Cancer is Curable” held in connection with World Cancer Day under the auspices of Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (Jang Group of Newspapers) in collaboration with INMOL Hospital and Novartis Pharmaceuticals on Thursday.

Prof Dr Abu Bakar Shahid, Director INMOL Hospital, said that the ratio of prevalence of cancer has been growing rapidly among public in the recent years, whose major causes include contaminated water and environment, substandard vegetables and food items. He mentioned that acidic water irrigation and pesticide sprays on vegetables were causing these diseases. He said Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission had been running eight cancer hospitals in Pakistan, where 80 per cent of all cancer patients were being treated without any discrimination. “Only 20 per cent cancer patients get treatment from other hospitals,” he said, adding that they were providing best possible treatment to patients despite limited available resources. He said that they were offering facilities like Radiation, Chemotherapy, surgery and PET CT Scan in order to provide state-of-the-art cancer treatment to the patients. However, he urged the government take urgent measures with a view to providing quality treatment at affordable cost to the patients.

Dr Misbah Masood, DCMO, said that the breast cancer was a leading cancer in the world and its prevalence was almost equal in developed and developing countries as 900,000 patients were present in developing countries and 800,000 patients in developed countries out of total number of 1,700,000 breast cancer patients in the world. However, the ratio of death due to breast cancer is higher in developing countries due to late diagnosis of the disease. He said that the women must get their mammography done every year after the age of 40, while adding that the women should consult only specialists and stop visiting the non-qualified doctors, quacks, Hakeems and spiritual healers. Dr Aamira Shami, PMO, said that the prevalence of cervical cancer in women ranked 4th among all cancers of women. She said that at least 528,000 women in the world suffered from cervical cancer every year out of which 266,000 women lose their lives to this disease. However, she said that there were two kinds of vaccines available in Pakistan to prevent this disease. She said that there was a need to quit smoking, refuse early age marriage and improve immunity for prevention of cervical cancer among women in the country.

Dr Zafar Alauddin, PMO, said that there were seven kinds of throat and mouth cancer, which affected at least 500,000 patients every year in Pakistan, adding that it was more concentrated in areas where smoking and naswar intake was higher among people. Dr Munib Nasir, PMO, said that the blood cancer was extremely dangerous as it travels all around the body very quickly and it became almost impossible to stop its progress. “If anyone feels glands or lumps must immediately see the specialist,” he added. Dr Rab Nawaz, PMO, said that the symptoms of cancer included lump in any part of the body, non-healing of wounds, blood in urine, weight loss and constant fever. Dr Ahmad Qureshi from Department of Nuclear Medicine said that PET Scan was the most latest treatment method of cancer. “We have been providing PET CT Scan facility to patients since 2010 at INMOL,” he said, adding that PET Scan was being done of 12 to 15 patients daily. He urged the government to establish at least 3 PET CT Scan machines in hospitals in order to cater to the load of cancer patients. Dr Ahmad Farooq, SMO, said that colon cancer was ranked 3rd among all cancers with 2nd most common cause of death among all cancer patients in the world. “It requires taking care of the food to prevent colon cancer,” he added. Dr Farrukh Rasheed, SMO, said that womb cancer was ranked 8th among all cancers in the world, adding that the diagnosis of only 2pc of all womb cancer among women could be possible in Pakistan and death rate was 1.5pc in Pakistan. He said that the womb cancer appeared after menstruation period, but obesity is also one of the causes of womb cancer. Dr Ziauddin said that lung cancer was curable if diagnosed at an early stage. He said that at least 9,500 lung cancer patients were diagnosed in US every year. MKRMS Chairman Wasif Nagi hosted the seminar, while Ali Imran, Kiran Butt and Shehzad Rauf assisted him.