11 Million Cases Of Cancer With Death Rate Of 8.5 Million People Reported Annually In The World: Oncologist

Eminent Oncologist and Director Nuclear Institute of Medicines and Radiotherapy (NIMRA) Dr Syed Shahid Iqbal has said the new found prosperity and trappings of a more modern lifestyle have helped cancer rate to rise dramatically worldwide and according to World Health Organization (WHO) 11 million new cases are being reported with death of 8.5 million people every year in the world

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 02nd Feb, 2018 ) :Eminent Oncologist and Director Nuclear Institute of Medicines and Radiotherapy (NIMRA) Dr Syed Shahid Iqbal has said the new found prosperity and trappings of a more modern lifestyle have helped cancer rate to rise dramatically worldwide and according to World Health Organization (WHO) 11 million new cases are being reported with death of 8.5 million people every year in the world.

Talking to APP here on Friday Director Nimra Dr Syed Shahid Iqbal informed that many countries have seen reduced poverty levels and increased industrialization only to know experience changes to environment, lifestyle and diets that are more conducive to cancer.

These lifestyle changes included the reduced activity levels, increase in fast-food consumption, Gutka, Manpauri, Pan and increased tobacco usage are becoming more commonly used in Pakistan and are factors, causing cancer in the country, he said and added that development, although necessary and desirable for a higher standard of living, has also brought more environmental and air pollutants.

He said that cancer, caused by viral or bacterial infections, can be prevented through strategies such as vaccination and adopting lifestyle changes, safe behaviors and other control measures, all of which could be implemented worldwide.

Giving example, Dr Syed Shahid Iqbal said that 80 percent of global cervical cancer deaths are in developing countries and even where affordable 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, added.

He said that nuclear medicines and radiotherapy are indisputably the most dynamic and fast growing disciplines of medicine that play a pivotal role in the diagnosis and management of cancer and allied diseases.

He said that liver cancer would be an epidemic of future as two billion people, one out of three people, in the world had been infected with hepatitis virus. He said 40 percent of hepatitis B and 60 percent of hepatitis C patients were at the risk of ultimately developing liver cancer.

He laid a stress on limiting transmission of hepatitis viruses by promotion of safe injection practice and screening of blood donation products. He informed that survival rate was very low for liver cancer patients, added.

He cautioned the people to be very careful from quack dentists who didn�t use sterilized tools, terming it one of the major reasons for remission of hepatitis virus.

About the liver cancer director Nimra Dr Syed Shahid Iqbal said the survival rate of those with liver cancer was very low.

He urged the people to be careful in selection of a dentist to their oral hygiene needs. He said contact with tools that were not sterilized was a major cause of spread of hepatitis virus, added.

He informed that lungs and throat cancers among men, breast cancer among women and oral cancers afflicting both genders were very common in Pakistan. According to Dr Syed Shahid Iqbal tobacco and betel nut is one of the reasons that residents of large cities, such as upper and lower Sindh, who belong to the lower socio-economic classes where literacy rates are low, are at the highest risk of acquiring the disease, added.

Prevalent among these populations are head and neck cancers which affect the inside of the nose, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, throat or the voice box, he said, adding that in such cases surgery combined, in patients with advanced stages of the disease, with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, was the preferred treatment.

He underlined the need of launching mass awareness campaign at large scale so that the people could be aware of reason, which causing different kinds of cancer disease. He informed that Eradication of this disease from Pakistan can only be possible through better awareness, prevention, care, support and access to treatment at all levels engaging various professionals like doctors, health workers and social workers.

People suffering from any form of cancer should not be left alone in their battle against the disease. Rather, they should be supported by friends and family members to defeat the disease and in many cases such struggles have yielded positive results, said Dr Shahid Iqbal.

Dr Shahid informed many international organizations holds awareness campaign and fund-raising events on the cancer day and added that the WHO and International Union against Cancer are very active in this cause.

Dr Shahid also said that it is very unfortunate that our people spend huge sum of money on grooming and shopping but when it comes to health they don't bother to take preventive measures which are more important for their long term wellbeing.

Dr Shahid Iqbal said that its time we need to take serious actions to protect our girls and women from this silent killer. Dr Shahid Iqbal said prevention was better than cure, so people should adopt healthy lifestyle in terms of exercise, proper checkup and balanced diet.