'Pakistan has highest number of breast cancer patients in Asia'.

Byline: Saleem Shahid

QUETTA -- Medical experts on Monday claimed that Pakistan has the highest number of breast cancer patients in Asia.

Speaking at a seminar at Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, they said breast cancer claims lives of more than 40,000 women in Pakistan every year.

Quoting the data of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical University, the experts said approximately 90,000 new cases are diagnosed in Pakistan every year.

According to some reports, from 1998 to 2009 there were 10,924 cancer patients in Quetta and 10,000 cases from 2014 to 2017, and most of them were women suffering from breast cancer.

According to the World Health Organisation, the breast cancer represents 10 per cent of all cancers diagnosed worldwide. It constituted 22pc of all new cases in 2000, making it the most common cancer in females.

Speaking at the seminar, Adviser to the Chief Minister Bushra Rind said so many women in the country lost their lives just because of lack of awareness about breast cancer.

'Breast cancer is still considered a taboo in our society. But by creating awareness about the disease it can be controlled,' she said.

Ms Rind said: 'We have to give confidence to the women and make them able to discuss their health issues freely with the doctor. Media can also play a very...