Zubair Qureshi
In order to raise awareness on breast cancer, Islamabad Serena Hotel organized a detailed session for the employees of the Islamabad Serena Hotel and Serena Business Complex.
Noted radiologist and Head of the Radiology Department at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and spokesperson for Breast Cancer for the Ministry of National Health Services Dr Ayesha Isani Majeed highlighted severity of the disease and various factors that could cause it.
Pakistan, she said, has 34,000 new breast cancer patients every year and this number is expected to double by 2040.
In Islamabad alone, one out of eight women screened has been found to have breast cancer,” said Dr. Ayesha Isani who has established the Federal Breast Cancer Screening Center at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences .
She said early detection and early diagnosis was key for prevention of breast cancer.
There are 98% chances of recovery at the early detection stage and 27% in advanced stage of the disease.
Yearly mammograms for women over 40 and breast self-examinations, as well as healthy lifestyle, nutritious food and exercise can help bring down the incidence of the disease, said she.
Dr Isani further informed that the Federal Breast Cancer Screening Center at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences was the first public sector facility in Islamabad which offers initial screening and detection, biopsy, ultrasound and mammography to patients under one ceiling, and was built to facilitate the growing demand of patients especially those unable to afford the costs of private hospitals.
The event was part of a series of multi-platform initiatives by Serena Hotels to continue all this month at its units countrywide to mark “Pinktober” including pink lighting at all the hotel properties.
Serena Hotel Islamabad has also joined hands with the “Be aware Be Safe” breast cancer awareness campaign by the First Lady Samina Arif Alvi and is disseminating informational material to stakeholders at its properties and on its digital platforms.
With 1.3 million cases daily, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide.
Pakistan has the highest prevalence of breast cancer in Asia, with one out of nine women expected to be diagnosed with the disease at some point.
