Islamabad - As a part of breast cancer awareness campaign, Nuclear Medicines and Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI) on Saturday organised a seminar to create awareness about breast cancer.
Nazrat Bashir, Managing Director Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), graced the occasion as chief guest. The event was attended by more than 350 women from different walks of life, dignitaries, eminent surgeons, gynaecologists, radiologists, pathologists, teachers from different schools, colleges and universities, both medical and non-medical students, nurses and paramedical staff and patients and their relatives.
All the participants showed keen interest and took part in discussion enthusiastically. Nazrat Bashir and Dr Shama shared their experience as patients of breast cancer and lauded the services being provided at NORI for cancer treatment.
Advisor ERRA Vakil Ahmad Khan appreciated the efforts of NORI and informed that medicines worth Rs 60 million have been provided to cancer patients free of cost out of NPWS funds.
A series of events were arranged at NORI starting from 1st October. Mini-symposia were arranged and free consultation and breast cancer screening services are being provided. These activities will be continued till 31st October.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. NORI Islamabad is regularly organizing this campaign.
This year under the auspices of NORI Patients Welfare
Society (NPWS) and Pakistan Society of Clinical Oncology (PSCO)
NORI is celebrating October as breast cancer awareness month so as to disseminate information about causes, prevention and treatment of breast cancer and to encourage those who have either won the fight against breast cancer or are recently diagnosed.
Director NORI Dr Javaid Irfan who briefed the services being provided by Pakistan Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals in general and NORI in particular. He said that NORI is not only providing cancer treatment facilities to a large population but has been providing dedicated breast cancer screening services since 1996.
He emphasized on the role of educating general public and making them abreast of facts about cancer to achieve cancer control in the country. He further said that cancer treatment services need to be expanded in the country and there is dire need of dedicated breast care clinics in tertiary care hospitals.
Dr Humera Mahmood Consultant Oncologist NORI delivered a lecture of breast cancer awareness.
There is lack of national cancer registry but NORI has its own computerized cancer registry which shows that most of the cancer burden at NORI comprises of breast cancer. She briefed that breast cancer in Pakistan constitutes about 35 per cent of all female cancers and 17 per cent overall. In spite of breast cancer being so common more than 60 per cent of patients still present in advanced stage of the disease due to lack of awareness, poverty and social and cultural taboos.
Dr Humera stressed on the increased risk of cancer associated with obesity and lack of physical activity, smoking and use of hormones without prescription of a doctor. Breast-feeding is encouraged to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
Dr Fayyaz Ahmad Director Medical Sciences appreciated the work done by NORI in providing excellent free breast cancer screening services during the whole month of October.
Breast cancer survivors shared their success stories bravely and confidently. They talked about how they were diagnosed, treated and cured and what were their feelings at the time of diagnosis and how feelings have changed after winning the fight against cancer.