Live healthy: ‘Active lifestyle key to beating breast cancer’

Women over 20 years of age advised self-examination every month

LAHORE: An active lifestyle, the right weight to height ratio and a balanced diet reduce the risk of breast cancer, said experts at a seminar on Prevention against Breast Cancer.

The Government College University (GCU) Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) had organised the seminar in collaboration with Shuakat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC).

SKMCH medical officer Esha Saqib advised students to consume balanced diet. She said that timely childbearing and breastfeeding reduced the risk of breast cancer. She said that the exact cause of breast cancer was yet to be discovered. “However, there are factors associated with a higher risk of cancer.” She said that smoking, alcohol and hormone replacement therapies multiplied the risk.

“All women over 20 years of age must examine themselves once in month,” Saqib said. She also talked about treatment methods. She said the survival rate was high if the cancer was detected before Stage III.

QEC Director Iram Sohail said nearly 1.2 million cases of breast cancer were reported worldwide every year. She said Pakistan had the highest incidence and mortality rate due to the disease.

“The pink colour has been globally associated with breast cancer. The message is ‘think pink, live green’.”

Later, the speakers met Vice Chancellor Hassan Amir Shah. The vice chancellor said that it was the responsibility of educational intuitions to educate their students about health related issues.

SKMCH Marketing Director Mansoor Lodhi apprised the vice chancellor of the hospital’s achievements in its breast cancer awareness campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2015.