Pakistan is among those few countries in the world where smoking and the use of tobacco in other forms including gutka is causing cancer among children under the age of 12, said Dr Syed Ahmar Hamid, a child oncologist associated with the Children Cancer Hospital (CCH) Karachi. He was speaking at a media briefing on childhood cancer organised in connection with the World No Tobacco Day. “Over 7,000 children are diagnosed with different types of cancers in Pakistan every year and 50 to 60 percent of them do not reach any treatment facility due to a lack of awareness about thee disease among their parents,” he said.
“There could be thousands of more children suffering from cancers who do not reach a cancer treatment facility due to a variety of reasons including poverty, residence in far-flung areas and lack of awareness about the disease.” He deplored that tobacco-use as well as chewing betel nuts is rising among children in the country, resulting in mouth and other cancers. “Unfortunately, there are only a few healthcare facilities in the country where children are treated for cancers,” he added. “Most physicians and child consultants are not trained to diagnose childhood cancer in Pakistan. There are hardly two dozen child oncologists in the country who have the expertise to diagnose and treat this dreaded disease.”
The oncologist pointed out that there is no system for training child oncologists in Sindh or elsewhere in Pakistan, resulting in a growing burden of child cancer sufferers on three facilities where treatment is available – the CCH, Aga Khan Hospital and the National Institute of Child Health. “At CCH, we are not only training doctors but also nurses about paediatric oncology with the help of international health organisations and doctors. Nurses trained by us are serving at other healthcare facilities as well.” Responding to a query, Dr Ahmar said that there is no known cause for childhood cancers including blood cancers, lymphomas and tumours, but there is definitely a direct link between tobacco-use and cancer. “Weight loss, frequent fever, loss of appetite, swelling of glands, visible tumors on the body and frequent pain are some of the symptoms, which requires parents to take their children to the child oncologist for a medical advice.”
On the occasion, renowned oncologist and CCH Chief Executive Officer Dr Shamvil Ashraf said that the cure rate of childhood cancer is over 80 percent provided that it is diagnosed early as delayed diagnosis often results in extreme agony for the child and his family, and ultimately the patient’s death. “Awareness about childhood cancer is extremely important in its treatment. It is not possible without the help of the media as doctors can only urge people to get their children medically checked from specialists in case of any abnormality,” he maintained. Later, visiting journalists were taken on a guided tour of the various sections of the CCH including wards, the chemotherapy section, laboratories and the outpatient department.
