Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Around 150,000 Pakistanis are diagnosed yearly with cancer, said Dr Muhammad Farrukh, consultant oncologist at the Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad on Saturday.

Addressing the participants of an awareness seminar held at the hospital in connection with World Cancer Day, Dr Farrukh said around 101,113 cancer related deaths and a prevalence of 350,000 living cancer patients were reported in the past five years in Pakistan.

Every year, World Cancer Day is marked on February4 to highlight the health risks associated with cancer and advocating for effective policies to fight cancer. Discounted coupons for mammography were also offered to the female participants of the seminar.

Dr. Hasan Orooj, director general health services, was the chief guest on the occasion. Dr. Hasan said that being diagnosed with cancer ws the worst scenario anyone could possibly imagine but the best thing is to continue the life with high spirit and motivation and helping others, who are striving to battle the disease.

“Besides the government, healthcare bodies and other stakeholders, we as people and society can also play an important role to ward off the disease. He advised audience to live a simple life, consuming simple and healthy food and doing regular exercise to prevent cancer. Prevention and awareness can decrease overall healthcare cost of the country, he said.

Dr Farrukh said that cancer was the 2nd commonest cause of human deaths (12.6%) after cardiovascular diseases (15.1%) followed by road traffic accidents (9.7%), respiratory ailments (7.1%), and peri-natal conditions (5.4%). He said that cancer generally affects the aging and termed sporadic (the more you age, the more chance of acquiring the ailment), but has no restrictions for race, nationality, gender, colour and may also affect the young.

He informed the audience that smoking tobacco and hookah is well0known for causing cancers of lungs, oral cavity and other organs. “Timely screening, active and healthy life style can protect people from all types of cancer,” he stated.

Dr Ayaz Mir, consultant oncologist at the hospital, said there were more than 100 types of blood cancer. Three major categories are leukemia (involves Blood), lymphoma (involves lymph nodes or glands) and myeloma (involves bones). Fatigue, weight loss, night sweats, loss of appetite, bleeding, bone pains, enlarged glands and recurrent infections are main signs and symptoms of blood cancer, he said.

He said that in US many blood cancers are now treatable with pills instead of chemotherapy. Other major advance is drugs that stimulate immune system of body to fight cancer (Immune Check Point Inhibitors). “Many new drugs are being manufactured in neighboring countries such as India but not in Pakistan and their import is prohibited. Many blood cancers can be cured by bone marrow or stem Cell transplantation from patients own or a donor’s stem cells. Transplant is expensive (Rs1.5 to Rs2.5 million) and many patients cannot be cured due to affordability issues,” he underlined.

He said that it was essential to develop a culture of blood donation and research amongst young people (schools and colleges) in fight against cancer. “Pain medicines for cancer are unavailable due to overzealous regulations in the country. Blood Cancer does not mean a death sentence. Many types have a high (70-80%) cure rate. Early detection is easy and expert consultation is essential,” Dr Ayaz remarked.

Consultant medical oncologist and breast cancer expert Dr Uzma Qasim said breast cancer was diagnosed in more than one million women worldwide every year. “Pakistan has the highest incidence of breast cancer in entire Asia.”

She also discussed the diagnosis and management of breast cancer. She said that timely / early diagnosis is key to the cure cancer.

Meanwhile, Adviser to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Division Irfan Siddiqui Saturday announced to establish a library for visitors of the NORI hospital to create awareness on cancer.

“The ministry would bear all the expenses of the library and also provide books, especially for children who come here for treatment or for those who visit with any patients to educate them about prevention of this disease,” he said.

Addressing as a chief guest at the seminar held at NORI hospital to commemorate `World Cancer Day’, he said, “Awareness can lead to prevention and early detection of cancer”

He added that after listening to the brave cancer survivors of Oncology Department NORI, he has come to the conclusion that faith, hope, appropriate and timely intervention could lead to successful treatment of cancer.

Later, he appreciated the efforts of Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital NORI and lauded that the hospital was not only playing a pivotal role in fight against cancer but was also treating the cancer patients irrespective of age, financial status and stage of the disease.

He also urged people to come and render their services as volunteers to spare time for the patient of the hospital, adding that “it would also help infuse spirit of life among them which results in speedy recovery.”

Published in Daily Times, February 4^th 2018.