KARACHI: Early detection and awareness are critical in the battle against breast cancer, said Jinnah Sindh Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Amjad Siraj Memon at a conference recently organized by the varsity to create awareness about the disease that afflicts one out of every nine women globally.
The conference was organized in partnership with the Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Surgical Department Unit 4 of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA).
The moot focused on increasing awareness among Pakistani women about the high prevalence of breast cancer among women, surpassing lung cancer, particularly concerning low and middle-income countries (LMICs), where incidence rates are expected to surge by 2040.
Pakistan has the highest breast cancer incidence among Asian countries, with an exceptionally high Age-Standardised Mortality Rate (ASMR) compared to other South Asian nations.
“Through this conference, we aim to equip women with knowledge and tools for regular self-examinations and timely medical consultations, enhancing treatment outcomes and quality of life,” Prof Memon said.
The moot also addressed risk factors for breast cancer, both modifiable and non-modifiable, and underscored the importance of screening programmes and early detection benefits.
Participants were encouraged to perform monthly breast self-examination, with guidance on optimal timing based on their menstrual cycles.
“Breast cancer is a treatable disease, especially if caught early,” said Dr Syeda Zarreen Raza, Consultant at JPMC and Associate Professor at JSMU. “With heightened awareness and access to screening, we can save thousands of lives in Pakistan each year,” she added.
Dr Rahat Naz, CME Director, said the conference is part of JSMU’s ongoing efforts to address the rising breast cancer burden in Pakistan, where over 40,000 women lose their lives to the disease annually, and an estimated 90,000 new cases emerge each year.
The conference also featured presentations by Dr Ammar Manzoor, Consultant Medical Oncologist at NIBD and BMT, and Dr Zubia Masood, a surgeon at Baqai. Dr Nazish Jaffer, Assistant Professor of the Pathology Department, facilitated the event, that was coordinated by Dr Nida Saleem and Dr Manal Afzal.
Earlier, JSMU organised a workshop on self-breast examination for students. In collaboration with Patients Helping Hands and Pink Ribbon, Dr Kiran Zeeshan, Head of Family Medicine at JSMU, also visited a local girls school to raise awareness about breast cancer.