Source: Alefia T. Hussain for The News on Sunday Magazine
We’re in October again. The month of breast cancer awareness campaign. The month of pink ribbons, pink buildings and pink ad and brochures.Come October, and we’re reminded that every year about 90,000 women are diagnosed with the disease and some 40,000 lose their lives to it; Pakistan has the highest rate of breast cancer occurrence in Asia; one in nine woman is at the risk of contracting it, whereas in India one in every 22 gets it.
These could be incorrect statistics. “We are not scientifically qualified to make that statement in the absence of authentic cancer registry,” reiterates Professor Shaista Masood Khan, Head of Breast Section, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University.
In Pakistan, she adds, the average age of women getting this disease is 40, in the West it is 50. “So, definitely, our women are contracting it 8-10 years earlier than those living in the developed countries. We also see women patients in 30s, but that age group is not in bulk.”
Ismailimail 
There maybe many reasons for the discrepancy However it is clear that diet and pollution , lack of exercise could all be blamed. Eating vegetarian proteins i.e. Beans , lentils , soya , nuts , quinoa , garbanzo and other dried beans is superior to eating animal based proteins. Modernization and greater consumption of processed foods are equally to be blamed but certainly obesity and diabetes are inflammatory conditions allowing the brewing of cancers. Breast feeding is favoured over feeding processed powdered milks to newborn infants. Regular yearly mammograms should be offered by NGO s in areas where women are unable to access mammography.
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Its is true without a scientific cancer registry it is very difficult to be sure of exact figures. But there are other important reasons for early onset breast cancer in Pakistan. Heriditary cancer constitutes 15-20% of all breast cancers in Pakistan compared to only 5% in the west. And we know heriditary cancer (genetic mutations) present early as cancer. Another important reason could be that our elderly population is less likely to report to doctors compared to our younger generation.
There is no doubt that we need a more co-ordinated and scientific approach. Not only we need a Breast Cancer registry but we also need an Association of Breast Durheons which will help standardise the treatment and guidelines actoss the country. We also need a comprehensive breast screening programme with the help of government.
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