First Lady calls for collective efforts to win fight against breast cancer.

PESHAWAR -- First Lady, Samina Arif Alvi here Thursday said breast cancer was a fatal disease and underlined the need for collective efforts to win the fight against it.

Addressing an awareness seminar against breast cancer as chief-guest here at Khyber Medical College (KMC), she said that over 90 percent of patients could be cured if diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

He said about 90,000 to one lakh people were diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the country and around 50 percent of patients died due to delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Samina Alvi said the number of women and girls coming to hospitals for screening had increased due to awareness seminars and workshops in all provinces of Pakistan including KP.

She said the even awareness sessions and workshops were held at remote areas of Balochistan and Wana in South Waziristan that was a positive step in the right direction.

Appreciating the 'one-stop clinic' for diagnoses, treatment and follow up tests of the treated patients at Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), Samina Alvi said that it was praised worthy step of the hospital, which was benefiting a large number of people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa and merged tribal districts.

She said doctors and family's cooperation was imperative to win the battle against the disease.

Samina Alvi advised women and girls to adopt the habit of self- examination and immediately come to hospitals and take appointments from specialist doctors for checkup in case of witnessing any abnormal changes.

Spearheading awareness campaigns against breast cancer in the country, the first lady said that late diagnosis was the major cause of high mortality rate in women and girls, adding women of all aged groups even male could become its victims.

She said it was a social stigma or taboo to speak about the disease, which resulted in delayed diagnosis and treatment that often leads to death.

The first lady said there was also a need to focus on rehabilitation and treatment of patients suffering from mental health related problems and persons with disabilities and role of KTH would be important in this regard.

She also underlined the need for bringing street children into the mainstream of society by imparting them quality education.

Lauding the media's proactive role in spreading awareness against breast cancer, she said Pakistan was a beautiful country having all resources and we need to work tirelessly for its progress and prosperity.

On this occasion, the...

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