Creatives Oct-Nov 2019

women as it accounts for 48% of all cancers of women and it is also the commonest cause
of cancer related deaths of women in Pakistan. It is extremely common, in simple words.
It is mainly because of unawareness. Women do not know how to pick up on it. Illiteracy
has a big part in this. When it is not identified, it grows until ultimately, it is fatal.
Should teams of doctors and nurses visit schools and offer free sessions and free
evaluations at their clinics?
Yes, but not exactly at schools more than colleges. Schoolgirls are a little too young to
know the details of breast cancer. Early overexposure can lead to trauma and fear, so
we avoid making that negative impression on such young minds. In colleges, however,
girls are old enough to be made aware. Free sessions and evaluations should not only be
offered at colleges but also to uneducated, poor women in order to lessen the biggest
hurdle to early diagnosis of breast cancer. If we raise breast cancer awareness, we could
lessen the frequency in which breast cancer is diagnosed at late stages in Pakistan, and
with appropriate treatment these cancers can then be cured.
By Maheen Salman
11 years old
SCIL, Lahore, Pakistan
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