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Tanzania: Cancer 'Stalks Breastfeeding Women'
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
5 May 2008
Posted to the web 5 May 2008
Pius Rugonzibwa
The head of surgery at Aga Khan hospital, Dr Isaya Tosiri,presents a paper during a two-day medical education seminar in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.
Current studies have revealed a persistent high prevalence of breast cancer among Tanzania women, especially those breast feeding.
Most cases are reported during weekly clinics in urban hospitals despite various campaigns against the disease carried out by activists and health professionals.
This came to light at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam last weekend during a medical education seminar on minimum invasive surgery.
The seminar was conducted by Prof Asad Raja from the faculty of surgery at the Aga Khan University, Nairobi, in collaboration with other resident doctors.
Making his presentation, a workshop participant, Dr Athar Ali, said every week he had been attending to between 15 and 20 patients who had been diagnosed with breast cancer at the clinic.
"The condition is so alarming that it was decided to form a team of medical professionals to conduct public lectures during the clinics as part of a sensitization campaign.
"We are going to conduct other campaigns in public areas and communities where awareness programs are prepared," said Dr Ali.
He said last year alone 120 breast cancer operations were performed and as time goes by the disease has become the most common form of cancer among women.
The workshop was told that the disease, once said to be affecting women from 40 years of age, was now gradually changing. Its victims get younger and younger.
"The best defence against this disease is early detection through physical examination. While there is no perfect solution, one can work on reducing the risk of getting it," said Dr Ali.
The Aga Khan Hospital recently introduced a new surgical technology applying modern surgical techniques. Called laparoscopic surgery, the technology is also used to treat breast cancer patients through surgery.
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According to information availed at the workshop, the operation is performed through small incisions as compared to larger incisions needed in traditional surgical procedures.
Advantages of laparoscopic surgery to the patient include reduced blood loss which also reduces the need for blood transfusion, smaller incision which reduces pain, short recovery time and less pain.
The laparoscopic procedure was first applied in humans in 1910 by Hans Christians Jacobaeus of Sweden. The Aga Khan Hospital is pioneering this surgery in Dar es Salaam.
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