‘Around 20pc of breast cancer patients are less than 40 years of age’

Early detection of breast cancer has just got easier as the world’s most accurate 3-D digital mammography system has made its way into the Neurospinal and Cancer Care Institute (NCCI), Karachi, with the capability to see the lesions in breasts with much more clarity than ever.

Speaking at the launch, Prof Abdul Sattar M. Hashim, consultant neurospinal surgeon & chairman and managing director of the NCCI and M. Hashim Memorial Trust, said: “An estimated 50,000 women die of breast cancer every year in Pakistan, which has the highest rate of this cancer in Asia and reports 90,000 new cases of the disease annually. That’s why, every woman should be aware about ever growing breast cancer and need to get done mammography to detect cancer earlier and fight against it."

“This modality would prove to be helpful in the fight against the disease as it uses artificial intelligence algorithms and the Computer Aided Diagnostics (CAD) system installed with the machine helps the radiologist in detecting even minor abnormalities that would not normally be seen by the naked eyes," he said.

3D mammograms are more effective than 2D mammograms in older women with dense breast, (nearly half of all women aged 35 and older who get mammograms are found to have dense breasts), a study has found that compared to traditional 2D mammograms, 3D mammograms offer fewer false positives and are more effective in older women. The research was published online on April 2, 2019, by the world renowned journal, Radiology, said by Prof Abdul Sattar.

Prof Fareya Usmani, consultant breast, general and reconstructive surgeon at the NCCI, said at the event that in Pakistan, around 25-35 women per 100,000 asymptomatic population develop breast cancer at some point in their lives.

Breast cancer is the commonest form of cancer among women, the only silver lining being that the patients can lead a healthy life if it is detected in time.

“Around 20 per cent of breast cancer patients are less than 40 years of age, which is a big number. Currently, 40 per cent of women in Pakistan fall in the age group of 20-39 years. Only 7 per cent of breast cancer patients are between 70 and 79. Fifteen years ago, 40-50 per cent of breast cancer patients used to reach hospitals with locally advanced tumors, but now, their share has fallen by over 10% because of increased awareness,” said Dr Fareya.

“The strongest risk factor is the genetic defect. Researchers Identify 110 genes associated with breast cancer. About 5 per cent to 10 per cent of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary, caused by abnormal genes passed from parent to child. Those born with these genes have a 70 per cent risk of getting this cancer in their lifetime,” Dr Fareya said

But she was quick to add that only 5-10 per cent of patients with breast cancer suffered from this genetic defect. “This means there are other risk factors in 90-95 per cent of the cases. Obesity, early menarche, late menopause, child-birth after 30 heighten the risk of breast cancer, women above 50 are also more vulnerable to it.”

One out of four women has a complaint in her breast at one time in her life and one quarter of those who have breast complaint has cancer. Thus, breast complaint is one of the major health issues in women health and one has to rule out cancer in every breast complaint.

Mammograms are probably the most important tool doctors have not only to screen for breast cancer, but also to diagnose, evaluate, and follow-up people who’ve had breast cancer. Safe and reasonably accurate and a fast procedure (about 20 minutes), they can save your life. Finding breast cancer early reduces your risk of dying from the disease by 25-30 per cent or more.

"The chances of a complete recovery from this disease and the improvement of the quality of life of patients depend on the stage at which the disease is detected and diagnosed. Where the disease is detected at an early stage, the chances of recovery are as high as 95 per cent according to experts worldwide," added Dr Fareya.

She advised women above 35 (or earlier if they're at high risk) to get the mammography test done once a year. Women under 35 should carry out monthly breast self-examinations and also have an annual check-up with a doctor, she said.

“All women should lead a healthy lifestyle, eat more fruits and vegetables, consume less fat and exercise regularly. They should also avoid alcohol and smoking in all forms.”