KARACHI:A breast cancer awareness fundraiser was held by Dawaai.pk here this Saturday evening. The all-female event was held at the Dawaai head office in Karachi and featured talks on women’s health and a self-exam tutorial by prominent breast surgeon, Dr. Shareen Lakhani.
Pakistan’s leading digital health platform, Dawaai advocates and actively promotes health literacy through its medical blog and social media channels.
“Health literacy is a powerful tool that enables people to make informed decisions around their lifestyles and health management, including what they eat, how much they sleep, and when they should consult a doctor, rather than rely on self-medication”, said Dawaai’s Public Relations Lead, Nida Mahmud. All donations raised were given to Pink Ribbon Pakistan to support their work on breast cancer in Pakistan.
Late in September, the President and First Lady also issued a call to action, declaring October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pakistan has the highest prevalence of breast cancer among Asian countries, with an estimated 90,000 new cases annually.
One in every nine women in Pakistan have a life-time risk of having breast cancer and a latest study found that large increases in breast cancer are expected for women in the 50-64 years age bracket.
The findings indicate that the total projected breast cancer incidence will increase from approximately 23.1% in 2020 to 60.7% in 2025. Cases of breast cancer diagnosed in younger women, aged 30-34 years, will increase from 70.7% to 130.6% in 2020 and 2025 relative to 2015.
Globally, breast cancer accounts for 1 in every 4 cancer cases among women with an incidence and mortality rate second only to lung cancer (Figure 1).
While there are several types of breast cancer, they can largely be categorized into non-invasive (in situ or contained around point of origin) and invasive (spread to nearby body parts) types of cancer. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact causes of breast cancer, experts have identified various risk factors (Figure 2) that contribute to the likelihood of developing breast cancer including age, reproductive health history, hereditary and lifestyle factors.
Breast cancer treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, holistic medicine, and targeted therapy. The most effective targeted treatment for breast cancer is Herceptin (trastuzuman) sold at PKR130,000 per injection.
Pakistan has a policy of importing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for life-saving drugs like Herceptin from India but the government has urged local manufacturers to produce APIs, reducing dependence on India. Importing APIs from countries other than India would cost Pakistan 1000 percent higher – making it even less affordable for the average patient according to Pharma Bureau Executive Director, Ayesha Tammy Haq.
Lack of affordable treatments/anticancer medicine is just one factor contributing to the late detection of breast cancer. A 2018 research found that misconceptions about the disease and its symptoms, illiteracy, and poor social status were major contributing factors for delayed presentation. Detecting breast cancer late increases the chances it is at an advanced stage, reducing survival rates significantly. Early detection, on the other hand, can increase survival rates by an incredible 95 percent.