LAHORE – The Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (Inmol) in collaboration with the Sanofi Oncology Pakistan organised a seminar on breast cancer at Alhamra Hall on Saturday.
A large number of college students, doctors, paramedical staff and nurses attended the seminar. Addressing the seminar, Inmol Director Dr Abubakar Shahid said breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in modern days.
He said the institute had been serving for the past 28 years and millions of patient had been treated in it. He said that all tests, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, PET scan available at Inmol while its mobile unit visits all Punjab and conducted mammography scans in remote areas.
According to the American Cancer Society 2007 report, 1451,700 new cancer patients were registered in south central Asia and in five most frequent cancers in women of Pakistan, breast cancer was among the no one in that list.
According to Globocan-2008, 64,900 in male and 74,300 new cancer patients had been registered. In males before age 75, risk of deaths by cancer 9.6 percent and 9.4 in females. In 2011, 27.65 per cent breast cancer patients came at Inmol.
Dr Shahid, who is also a PhD in breast cancer oncology, said that in 1990, 1,463 oncology patients visited Inmol and in 1995 this ratio increased to 2,234, while in 2005, the number surged to 2,839 and in 2011, it reached to 4,087.
On the occasion, Dr Amira Shami, an oncologist, elaborated the role of chemotherapy, hormone and radiation therapy in treatment of breast cancer. She said mortality from breast cancer was falling due to widespread use of adjutant medical and radiation therapy in addition to surgery.
Dr Zeeshan Raseed Mirza said the breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in Pakistani women. Screening mammograms offered the best way to detect breast cancer at initial stage. Mammography is safe, quick and relatively painless. Dr Samina Khokhar, consultant surgeon of Inmol told about when a women need surgery, importance of surgery in breast cancer. At the end, some survivors of breast cancer spoke about their experiences.