Alarming Situation of Breast Cancer in Women of Lahore,Pakistan From 1984 to 2018

Dear Editor

Cancer is considered as a major threat to all over the world. Almost 25% of all deaths globally are due to this malady. The reality of cancer in Pakistan can be seen in very critical condition due to the increased death rate, especially in women. In the general observation, breast cancer in women appears in top due to its higher ratio as compared with other types of cancers. Lahore is Pakistan’s second and world’s 15th most populous city, and breast cancer can be seen in terrifying condition. In 1984-1991, 1450 female patients with breast cancer were reported in Lahore with the average of 181.25 per year. During 1992-1999, 3473 patients with breast cancer were reported with the average of 434.12 per year, which is more than 2 times higher as compared with that reported previously. ¹ In the next 8 years duration, 2000-2007, 4769 patients were reported with the average of 596.12 per year, which shows 37.32% increase as compared with previous duration in female breast cancer ailment.^1,2 When we analysed 2008-2015, the number of patients raised to 8877 with the average of 1109.63 per year. This 8 years duration shows increases of 86.13% in breast cancer, which gives threatening indications.^1–3

As per statistics of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Center, Lahore, Pakistan from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016, in registered patients, the most frequent diagnosis in women (3214) was breast cancer with 44.56% of the cancers. ⁴ In the period of January 2017 to December 2017, again out of 5996 malignancies, breast cancer was the leading malignancy with 1244 cases accessioned into the registry. ⁵

Women in this city are vulnerable due to this increasing percentage of breast cancer, because almost 4 female patients with breast cancer are getting registered in hospitals of Lahore. Most of the patients of cancer are present in the age bracket of 41 to 50 years. It was also found in this study that breast cancer was not common in children. ¹

In conclusion, the breast cancer was found at the top as commonest malignancies among patients in Lahore. This disease creates panic in woman community and making their survival with health at risk in this city. Government of Pakistan should take some astonishing measures for the awareness through media to control the rapidly increasing rate of breast cancer and should also build new hospitals similar to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Center.