The ratio of liver cancer has doubled in Pakistan in the last two decades

Lahore: The ratio of liver cancer has doubled in Pakistan in the last two decades.  In 1995, the liver cancer was eighth most common cancer in Pakistan as compared to the sixth in the world but now the situation is worse in our country than the whole world, said the speakers while addressing an international seminar on “Prevention and Treatment of Liver Cancer” at the Government College University Lahore. The seminar was jointly organised by the GCU Biological Society and Cancer Care Hospital and Research Centre Lahore (CCHRC).

College of Physicians and Surgeon Pakistan Dean Prof Dr Shaharyar said that only healthy lifestyle could only prevent cancer, adding that the leading causes of liver cancer were hepatitis B and C, smoking and alcohol. He laid a particular stress on brisk walking at least 20 minutes daily and balanced diet to reduce the chances for occurrence of cancer. However, he said, smoking doubled the risk of cancer as he had found that 90 percent of his cancer patients were smokers.

Prof Shaharyar also highlighted the dearth of cancer care facilities in Pakistan, saying ever year 300,000 patients needed treatment against cancer but Pakistan had facilities for only ten percent of them, while other died in pain.

Dr Ehsan ur Rehman, an oncologist from Churchill Hospital, UK, said liver cancer would be an epidemic of future as two billion people, one out of three people, in the world had been infected with hepatitis virus. He said 40 percent of hepatitis B and 60 percent of hepatitis C patients were at the risk of ultimately developing liver cancer. He laid a stress on limiting transmission of hepatitis viruses by promotion of safe injection practice and screening of blood donation products.

Jinnah Hospital Lahore clinical oncologist Dr Riaz-ur-Rehman told the students about the symptoms, treatment and palliative care for the patients of liver cancer. He said survival rate was very low for liver cancer patients. He cautioned the people to be very careful from quack dentists who didn’t use sterilised tools, terming it one of the major reasons for remission of hepatitis virus.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah said prevention was better than cure, so students should adopt healthy lifestyle in terms of exercise and balanced diet. He expressed gratitude to the speakers for highly informative session with students about the fatal disease and hoped that “now they would start taking much better care of their health.” The Vice Chancellor said it was the responsibility of educational institutions to raise awareness among students about their health issues.

Later, the seminar was followed by an on-campus awareness walk which was led by Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah and Dr Shaharyar. The heads of administrative and academic departments also participated in the walk along with a large number of students.