Breast Cancer Risk Can Be Decreased Due To Timely Awareness: Dr. Shehla

Eminent Consultant and professor of OBGYN at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro Professor Dr.Shehla Channa said that around the world breast cancer statistics shows that after lung cancer, breast cancer was the second most death-causing factor in people who may develop cancer.

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2018 ) :Eminent consultant and professor of OBGYN at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro Professor Dr.Shehla Channa said that around the world breast cancer statistics shows that after lung cancer, breast cancer was the second most death-causing factor in people who may develop cancer.

Talking to APP here on Wednesday, Dr.Shehla Channa said that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women with the exception of no melanoma skin cancers. It is the second leading cause of death by cancer in women, following only lung cancer.

She informed that the unfortunately, a majority of cases in Pakistan are diagnosed late because of a lack of awareness and cultural taboos that drive women to keep the disease a secret.

She further informed that the Pakistani women can be empowered to control their health issues if they receive timely support, but unfortunately there is no awareness at family or community level in rural areas. If a woman is diagnosed with cancer, she not only has to fight against cancer but also against social attitudes around it let alone seeking psychological support on trauma of losing one or both breasts, Dr.Shehla said.

Dr.Shehla Channa said that motivated women by telling them about the factors that influence risk for breast cancer includes being a woman, being older, and having changes in breast cancer genes.

She said that most women could survive breast cancer if it was found and treated on time. And it can only be possible, if women start believing on the screening test for breast cancer.

She said that breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy among women in Pakistan. It constitutes 25 percent of all cancers and are registered a decade earlier among local women as compared to their counterparts in the western countries. A significant percentage of patients with ovarian carcinoma gave a history of breast cancer, added.

Dr.Shehla Channa informed that a woman with a personal history of cancer in one breast has a three- to fourfold greater risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast.

This refers to the risk for developing a new tumor and not a recurrence (return) of the first cancer, added.

She further informed that breast cancer seems to occur more frequently in countries with high dietary intake of fat, and being overweight or obese is a known risk factor for breast cancer, particularly in postmenopausal women.

Dr.Shehla Channa disclosed that the use of alcohol is also an established risk factor for the development of breast cancer. The risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. Women who consume two to five alcoholic beverages per day have a risk about one and a half times that of nondrinkers for the development of breast cancer. Consumption of one alcoholic drink per day results in a slightly elevated risk, added.

About the biopsy she said that the only way to diagnose breast cancer with certainty is to biopsy the tissue in question. Biopsy means to take a very small piece of tissue from the body for examination and testing by a pathologist to determine if cancer is present. A number of biopsy techniques are available, added.

Dr.Shehla Channa disclosed of the side effects of the chemotherapy are well known and side effects depend on which drugs are used. Many of these drugs have side effects that include loss of hair, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, and low blood cell counts. Low blood counts may 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, Dr.Shehla added.

Expert Dr.Shehla Channa said that the breast cancer was a serious health condition but with timely and proper treatment patients do recover from the initial trauma of the disease while eating healthy food and maintaining a balanced lifestyle can further help to cope with the disease, added.