Director Nuclear Institute of Medicine and Radiotherapy (Nimra) Dr Naim Leghari has said that breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy among women in Pakistan and constitutes 25 percent of all cancers registered among them. Talking to APP here Friday, he said that world breast cancer statistics shows that after lung cancer, breast cancer is the second most death-causing factor in people who may develop cancer.
Dr Naim Leghari informed that abnormal development of cells leads to the growth of tumour, when tumour is malignant in nature, they are termed as cancer. He said chances for breast cancer increases with age and does not only relate to women, but figures show that out of every 100 women, there is one male who is diagnosed with the disease.
He said breast cancer may occur at any age but its risk increases with growing age as one in every 280 women of 30 years hold the risk to develop breast cancer as compared to one in 70 in 40 years age group and one in 40 among women of 50 to 60 years age.
Dr Leghari observed that a woman with a personal history of cancer in one breast has a three to four fold greater risk of developing cancer in the other breast or in any other part of the same breast. This refers to the risk for developing a new tumour and not a recurrence of the first cancer, he added. He said that the use of alcohol is also an established risk factor for the development of breast cancer.
As for diagnosis of the ailment, he said that with the surge in number of breast cancer, there has also been increase in the diagnostic tools that can help identify the onset of the disease. The doctor said that the first diagnostic tool to identify breast cancer is mammogram and it is an X-ray of the breast that can show the presence of abnormal growth or lumps in the breast area.
The consultant said that fine needle is inserted in the lump to take the tissue or liquid out from the lump and then a biopsy is performed to test for carcinoma. About the causes of breast cancer, Dr Naim said that exact cause of breast cancer is unknown and there are no fixed causes for breast cancer. He said besides age factor, family history of close relative like mother, sister and daughter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer also increases the risk.
Enlightening about the preventive techniques, Dr Leghari said side effects of the chemotherapy are well known and these depend on types of drugs that are used. Side effects include loss of hair, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, and low blood cell counts. The doctor said that low blood counts might cause patients to be more susceptible to infections, to feel sick and tired, or to bleed more easily than usual. Medications are available to treat or prevent many of these side effects, he added.
Negating an incorrect perception, Dr Naim Leghari said that the breast cancer does not mean a specific category of disease rather, it is the different types of cancer generally found in breast and are collectively termed as breast cancer.
He cautioned that the breast cancer is a serious health condition but said that with timely and proper treatment, patients do recover from the initial trauma of the disease, while eating healthy food and maintaining a balanced life style can further help to cope with the disease.