In connection with the ongoing Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Colgate-Palmolive Pakistan collaborated with Pakistan Olympic Association Women and Sports Commission for a special session.
Hosted at the Sindh Madressat-ul-Islam University in collaboration with Syed Foundation and Karachi Sports Foundation, the event featured a lecture by internationally well-known expert Prof. Dr. Rufina Soomro, who educated those in attendance about the risks, preventative measures and treatment options. Addressing the participants, Prof. Dr. Rufina Soomro, Professor of Surgery, at Liaquat National Hospital, said that early detection of breast cancer can save lives and added that awareness is important especially in our country where the mortality rate of this disease is the highest in Asia.
She informed the seminar participants that one in eight women develop breast cancer in their lifetime while the mortality rate is about 3 percent (1 in 36), adding that if detected in early stages, the survival rate is higher. In the wake of the rising cases of the disease in the country, she advised women to conduct regular breast exams for themselves at home themselves at home and to consult a doctor if they experience any symptoms.
Talking about the risk factors, Prof. Dr. Rufina Soomro said that being a woman is the main risk factor for breast cancer, which is 100 times more common in women than men. She added that the risk for breast cancer increases with age, as around 77 percent of women with breast cancer are over the age of 50 at the time of diagnosis. A person with one first-degree relative with breast cancer, like a mother, sister, or daughter, has doubled risk for breast cancer, and a large number of women with breast cancer have no family history. Prof.
Dr. Rufina Soomro said other breast cancer risk factors included women over 40 years, early menarche, late menopause, oral contraceptives, genetics, late first child, alcohol use, hormone replacement therapy, radiation, geographic location, diet, obesity, cancer in another breast, family history, etc. She said that a three-step approach, including self-examination, clinical examination and mammography can guarantee good breast health. She advised women to follow a healthy lifestyle marked by physical activity and balanced and nutritious food, advising them against smoking, and to limit their alcohol intake. Earlier, Chief Guest Dr Shahnaz Memon, Senior Medical Officer Health Department, Govt of Sindh,.
