Specialist highlights link between breast cancer, smoking

Doctors from Sharjah and Dubai said that even as science and technology unabatedly advances, it should be that health be part of daily normal conversations, in order to at least preclude the worst, and everyone as well, given the chance to live at their optimum.

- Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

NMC Royal Hospital (Sharjah) Medical Oncology consultant Dr. Abdul Rahman Agha El Kinge and Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital (Al Qusais) General and Laparoscopic Surgery specialist Dr. Vanesha Varik shared their observational data and views, relative to October having turned pink since nearly half a century back.

However, according to the "UN News - Global Perspective Stories" of the United Nations, by 2050, there would be "3.2 million new cases and 1.1 million related deaths each year if current trends continue."

Regionally and based on their respective 17 and 16 years of experience, El Kinge and Varik reiterated what their colleagues had observed in previous years.

"A notable clinical observation in recent years is the younger age at which patients are presenting compared to those in Western countries with many women being diagnosed in their late 30s or early 40s. A considerable number are still diagnosed at more advanced stages, even as public awareness and screening programmes are improving," said Varik.

El Kinge's youngest male and female patients were at 33 and 29 when diagnosed. The oldest man was 72 and the oldest woman was 81.