Shaukat Khanum Breast Cancer Awareness Month
A beautiful monsoon October day when team of Shaukat Khanum was preparing Pakistan’s first ever Digital Breast Cancer Awareness Sessions. Banners were set up, decorations were done, our qualified doctors arrived, camera, light, sound proof auditorium and there we went live!
An interesting conversation started among host and the doctors, hundreds of people watched them online with curiously, to know about rising numbers of Breast cancer in Pakistan, being highest in Asia. It is estimated that each year more than 83,000 cases of breast cancer are reported in Pakistan. Nearly 40,000 women die, just due to this deadly disease.
In addition to this, Breast cancer Awareness day was held on 2nd of October 2018 at Shaukat Khanum Hospital inviting 25 schools and colleges over 685 female students to discuss possible Breast cancer causes. As the oncologist enlightened us that inheritance is one of the major risk factors of breast cancer. Watching shining faces of women of all ages was delightful sight wearing our pink butterfly’s badges and learning in a comfortable environment.
Breast cancer awareness session of Shaukat Khanum Hospital is an effort to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of breast cancer through education on signs, symptoms and treatment of it. Impressive contribution was made by Pearl Continental and Marriott Hotels, MCB Tower Lahore and Netsol when they turned Pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness as a pink reminder to support the social cause. Men and women supporters from Bikestan participated and hoped that greater knowledge will lead to earlier detection of breast cancer, which is associated with higher long-term survival rates as it is 100% curable if detected early.
Breast cancer being the most frequent cancer among women compelled us to do activities like mirror activation in which we visited parlors in Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad encouraging women to take out five minutes for self-examination. Strategies focus on providing timely access to breast cancer treatment, like ultrasound scan at least every year from the age of 40 can be useful, as in good hands it can pick most cancers and is available throughout the country.
Moreover stretching our quest country wide and our dedicated staff provided services by creating Breast Cancer Awareness sessions distinguishing between myths and facts related to this disease.
Pink Tea Parties (PTP) was another fun way encouraged by Shaukat Khanum Hospital by providing free PTP kits which contains informative handouts about breast cancer awareness which comforted women to raise awareness and hope in their own circles and was motivated to build a better future for their juvenile. Arrangement were made by Shaukat Khanum Hospital to interacted and engaged on week-end in the Emporium Mall and Fortress Square to learn about the Breast Cancer Awareness as well.
In Pakistan, one in nine women develops breast cancer at some stage of their lives. Every year thousands of females lose their lives due to lack of awareness, several women do not share their health issues with others and are shy to go for any kind of breast examination. Not only elder women but it has affected younger too. Around 77 percent of women with breast cancer are over the age of 50. From age 40 till she is physically active, every woman should have a mammogram and a physical exam by a doctor at least every two years. At Shaukat Khanum Hospital, we ensure that the breast cancer patients feel that no matter what we stand with them and they are not alone in their fight against cancer.
In a nutshell self-examination should be practiced as a life style. It should be talked about so we can help maximum individuals who are deprived of the basic information and medical facilities.