Early detection: Self-examination, mammography screenings advised

Seminar on breast cancer held at University of Faisalabad.

FAISALABAD:

Pakistan has one of the highest incidence rates of breast cancer in Asia; one out of every nine women is at risk of developing the most common form of cancer worldwide.

This was revealed by Dr Ayesha Riaz and Dr Hina Shaukat while speaking at a seminar Epidemiology of Breast Cancer, organised by The University of Faisalabad at its Saleem Campus on Thursday.

The seminar was organised in collaboration with Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Lahore.

The speakers said prevalence of breast cancer is the highest amongst all the cancers in Pakistan, 38.5 per cent.

The disease kills 40,000 Pakistani women die annually.

Dr Riaz of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital advised women under 40 to carry out regular self-examination. She said those over 40 should get mammography scans regularly.

Dr Hina Shukat, a lecturer at the department of community medicine, Medical and Dental College of the University of Faisalabad said the best way to fight the disease was to detect it at an early stage so that timely treatment could be sought.

The Pink Ribbon Campaign is marking October as Pinktober - the breast cancer awareness month. The organisation has termed 2012 as the Pink Ribbon Youth Year. It hopes to educate 500,000 youth in 500 colleges and universities in 12 months.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2012.