HYDERABAD: At least 8.5 million people die of cancer disease across the globe while 11 million people face new cases annually, said Director Nuclear Institute of Medicines and Radiotherapy (NIMRA), Jamshoro, Dr. Naeem Leghari here on Thursday.
"Increased industrialisation changed the eco-system and lifestyle of the masses which has become more conducive to the spread of cancer," he observed while talking to APP while referring to statistics and studies conducted by World Health Organization (WHO) worldwide.
"Lifestyle changes including reduced physical activity, increase in fast-food consumption, Gutka, Mainpuri, Paan and increased tobacco usage in Pakistan were the factors behind rising incidence of cancer in the country," he maintained.
There had been recent breakthroughs pertaining to the treatment of cancer, in the form of vaccines like Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccine, which protects against HPV that could lead to the cervical cancer, the third highest cause of death by cancer among women, Dr. Naeem Leghari said and added that the vaccine protects against the Hepatitis-B Virus, which could lead to liver cancer.
He said that despite the existence of preventive measures, there existed a clear disparity between low and high income countries in rates of cancer as people belonging to the poor or developing countries find lack of access to prevention programmes, treatment and cure.
Giving example of the said difference in prevalence of the levels of the disease, he said that 80 percent of global cervical cancer deaths are reported in developing countries and even where technology is available, enormous challenges remain due to limitations in disease awareness and public health infrastructures, illustrated by the significant differences in the coverage of Hepatitis-B vaccination programmes worldwide.
In addition to routine clinical work, he said NIMRA was actively engaged in various research, teaching and training programmes.
Academic facilities were also being provided to foreign and national M.Sc. and M.Phil students of University of Sindh Jamshoro, he added.
He said that cancer, caused by viral or bacterial infections, and could be prevented through strategies such as vaccination and adopting lifestyle changes, safe behaviors and other control measures, all of which could be implemented worldwide.
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