Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths globally. Pakistan has the highest rate of breast cancer among Asian countries as one in every nine women have a lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Therefore, women in the country must be aware that the key to fighting this disease is early diagnosis.
The situation also indicates that women are deficient in knowledge about breast cancer and believe many prevalent superstitions and spiritual statements about the disease. In order to address the urgency of the matter, Pakistan desperately needs to initiate multi-pronged strategies — including better reporting and documentation of cases, community-level awareness, promoting early detection, overcoming barriers in the provision of better health facilities, and making diagnosis easier. It must be noted however that due to a low health budget and lack of funds, there is a scarcity of modern cancer care infrastructure.
To overcome this issue, officials must set up a national-level cancer registry database that can provide accurate prevalence of diagnosed cases, survival rates, and other related parameters. The government must also invest in cost-effective early breast cancer detection strategies to promote down staging and ensure the availability of facilities for breast cancer patients.
RANIA KHAN
ISLAMABAD
