M Nadeem Bhatti
PAKISTANIS are suffering from a lot of diseases due to lack of health facilities. Breast cancer is one of them which is the most common cancer diagnosed in women. Usually, the cancer forms in either the lobules or the ducts of the breast. Lobules are the glands that produce milk and ducts are the passages that bring the milk from the glands to the nipple. Throughout the world, it poses a major health risk for women. Every year, around one million women are diagnosed with breast cancer. According to the estimates of World Health Organization (WHO), there were more than 1.38 million women suffering from breast cancer all over the world in 2008. In US, there are 3 million women alive who defeated cancer. According to American Cancer Society (ACS), there are more than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in US. The chance of any woman dying from breast cancer is around 2.5%. The thing for all the women to be noted here is to stay calm and don’t get panic immediately as this disease is curable. They should immediately consult a doctor and should not hesitate to tell him about their condition.
As far as Asia is concerned, Pakistan has the largest rate of breast cancer. It is the second leading cause of death among women in the country. An estimated 85,000-90000 cases are annually reported in our country, and over 41,000 deaths are caused by it, which is very alarming. Around 11% (1 of 9) Pakistani women develop breast cancer at some stage of their life. It is creating serious financial and social problems for families in Pakistan. Pakistan is a developing country and most of the population is living in rural areas where no formal health infrastructure is available. Illiteracy is also a major cause of breast cancer among women as they have no awareness about personal hygienic conditions. Most of the Pakistani women have no proper access to the medical facilities due to gender-based unfairness/discrimination. Sexually transmitted diseases and breast cancer has become very common disease among women in Pakistan. In rural areas of the country, socio-economic conditions are responsible for the poor health of the women. In most rural areas of Pakistan, the awareness about breast cancer is not communicated because of our traditional culture and gender disbenefit. Most of the women are hesitant to go for any kind of breast examination. The major causes of breast cancer are lack of knowledge, unawareness and unhygienic conditions during breast-feeding. As compared to other types of cancer, breast cancer has over 90% chances of complete cure, but prevention is in early diagnosis. The way to diagnose breast cancer is by screening mammograms and breast self-examination.
Let us discuss about the causes and symptoms of breast cancer. Main causes of breast cancer are still not been identified but some risk factors make it more likely. The most common factor is the age. As the woman grows, the chances get higher. At the age of 20, the chance of developing breast cancer is 0.06%. By the age of 70 years, this figure goes up to 3.84%. Another cause is the family history of breast cancer. If a woman’s mother, sister or daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer, particularly at a young age, the risk of her having breast cancer is increased. Still, the majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Radiation exposure at woman’s chest as a child or young adult can increase the risk of breast cancer. Some of the causes include: Beginning of period before age 12, giving birth to the first child after age 30, having never been pregnant and drinking alcohol. The symptoms include: Change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast, Changes to the skin over the breast such as dimpling, a new inverted nipple, peeling area of skin surrounding the nipple, redness or pitting of the skin over the breast, pain in breast, and bloody discharge from the nipple. After seeing any symptom of a breast cancer, the woman should immediately discuss with her doctor. The best way to keep ones-self away from this disease is to choose a healthy routine which includes exercise and healthy nutritious diet. Women who are used to take alcohol daily should limit their habit of drinking. In this day of technological age, several treatments of breast cancer are there which include: Killing cancer cells with radiation therapy, drug treatment (chemotherapy) and hormone therapy. The thing is women should take it seriously and should not delay her appointment with the cancer specialist.
The President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi is very much interested to see healthy Pakistan. As doctor, he knows the importance of women which are prime source to generate a healthy population. That’s why he is much keen to see a Pakistan free of diseases especially Breast cancer. He is trying his level best to spread awareness about the Cancer. In my opinion, the Government of Pakistan, mass media and concerned health authorities should take steps towards paying attention to this deadly disease. A separate department should be made within the health department which only monitors breast cancer patients. Our women are our assets and we cannot see them dying in this horrible way. Also, it has now become so important to increase awareness and help educate people regarding symptoms and treatment, and also give training on breast self-examination (BSE). Moreover, mammogram should be made free as most of the population cannot afford this screening program because it is very expensive. By using the latest treatment technology, medication should be provided at a lower price so that the poor can also save her life. I am sure that this may help avoid the prevalence of the disease and will be a cause of a healthier Pakistan.
—The Writer is a Senior Social Analyst & Chairman Pakistan Columnist Council.