Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

BY Salman Yousafzai

PESHAWAR: Pink Ribbon Organization Pakistan with collaboration of Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Tuesday launched a campaign to create awareness against breast cancer among almost 35,000 female students being studying at various universities and colleges in provincial capital.

In a press briefing at Peshawar Press Club, Executive Officer Pink Ribbon Campaign Omer Aftab told that every year 40,000 women die due to breast cancer in Pakistan as they reluctant to identify their illness adding that 90 thousands cases are being diagnosed annually.

“Taboos attached with breast cancer increased it alarmingly but it is curable if diagnosed at early stages as self-examination, clinical breast exam and mammogram x-ray report could surly overcome the fatal disease,” he added.

He also ruled out the misperception that only married women receive the illness as he revealed that girls in their teen ages also becoming the victims of breast cancer while they void to discuss the disease even with their mothers.

He further said that former international hockey goalkeeper Qasim was also died due to breast cancer as he was struck by a powerful hit ball on his chest by one of his team mate, adding that one percent breast cancer also exits in men.

‘Poor health facilities and non-availability of human resource in rural areas hampering treatment of breast cancer as there is only one doctor for 1254 patients’ he lamented.