Seminar on breast cancer organised

No facilities for cancer detection and treatment are provided by which hundreds of cancer patients are dying every day. Patients often travel to Multan from remote area of southern Punjab, Balochistan and NWFP for medical treatment. There is an acute shortage of medical personnel and facilities for far flung areas of south Punjab, said the speakers at a seminar jointly organised by Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI)women wing and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital on breast cancer for the awareness of the women, which was chaired by Roomana Tanvir Sheikh.
She said that 51 percent population of Pakistan comprises of women but literacy rate among them is very low. Healthcare facilities in South Punjab are unsatisfactory. The government has to spend huge sums of money as medical reimbursements for those who have to seek medical treatment outside the state yet it covers hardly 5 percent of the effected, deserving patients thus in result, hundreds of people are dying everyday by failing to get proper treatment as well as early detection of the diseases, specially with cancer. She stressed the need for setting up cheap, affordable and sustained health care to affected poor people in undeveloped regions with the experience gained in this field, as an urgent necessity has been felt to set up a Cancer Research Centre and Specialty Treatment Centre in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Vehari, Khanewal for the treatment of breast cancer. Dr Shomaila said that breast cancer is increasing in these areas due to ignorance and lack of check-up facilities in rural areas.
She advised to avoid becoming overweight. Obesity raises the risk of breast cancer after menopause, the time of life when breast cancer most often occurs. She further suggested eating healthy to avoid tipping the scale. Embrace a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in sugared drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods. Eat lean protein such as fish or chicken breast and eat red meat in moderation, if at all. Eat whole grains.