Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar 2022

On Tuesday, November 15, 2022, the Department of Community Medicine along with Team 3, hosted a seminar on Breast Cancer Awareness which was attended by students of the Class of 2024 and SCM faculty. The esteemed panel comprised Dr Humaira Naz (Asst. Professor of General Surgery), Dr Ghazala Mudassir (Asst. Professor of Pathology), Dr Sajida Naseem (Associate Professor and Acting HOD Community Medicine) and Dr Saima Rafi (Asst. Professor Community Medicine).

The session formally commenced with a welcome note by Dr Maryam Chaudhry. She gave an introductory overview regarding Breast Cancer Awareness. This was followed by reciting a few verses from the Holy Quran by Zoraiz Nasir (Year 3 MBBS).

The panel discussion began with Dr Sajida Naseem emphasising the need to create awareness regarding the early signs and symptoms of Breast Cancer among the community that can eventually lead to early detection, diagnosis and better prognosis.  She also highlighted the importance of bringing lifestyle modifications to decrease the risk of developing cancers.  She also mentioned the National data in this context, which was an eye-opener for the audience and panel members.

Dr Humaira Naz, with her expertise, gave an in-depth overview of the danger signs, and patient presentation, followed by a discussion of the prognosis to the patient and family in the OPD regarding breast cancer. She voiced her disappointment regarding the poor patient turnover during the initial stages of the malignancy, reinforcing the importance of awareness.

Dr Ghazala Mudassar discussed the significance of patient education on minor procedures like fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for breast cancer diagnosis. She gave an insight into how to handle patients from different demographic backgrounds, as cultural, religious and social norms can vary.

Dr Saima Rafi shed light on the common myths and misconceptions surrounding breast cancer and the obstacles doctors face in debunking such misunderstandings. The audience was surprised by the real-life examples given and how such concepts are circulating in the community.

The entire panel was in consensus on the concept of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), which covers the patient’s mental, physical, and social well-being along with rehabilitation. Dr Sajida Naseem also stressed a holistic approach with the involvement of a psychiatrist in the MDT. 

The ceremony was closed with remarks by each panel member advocating the vitality of a 5-minute self-examination leading to early detection of Breast cancer and its cure. A take-home message for the students was to actively advocate prevention and awareness amongst the masses regarding breast cancer.