PISES organizes breast cancer awareness campaign

Waqar Naseem Wamiq RIYADH — Pakistan international School English Section (PISES) held an event to raise breast cancer awareness here. Dr. Shazia Maqsood, head of department of gynecology at Sulaiman Al Habib Hospital, and Dr. Hina Ambreen Tariq, department of family medicine at King Khaled Hospital, were the guests of honor. They were warmly welcomed with bouquets by A2 girls and senior faculty of PISES girl's wing. The event began with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an by Zartaj Akseer, followed by the translation by Aleesha Irfan of the respective Surah. Sajida Emran gave the introductory speech. She enlightened the audience on the importance of this campaign for women of all ages and how these matters of life and death should be taken seriously and cautiously. The management team of A2-C, including Zainab Asif, Maria Zubair, Faiqa Noor and Saima Iqbal, continued the discussion. The students gained experience and motivation to work hard and change people’s perspectives regarding fatal diseases like breast cancer which can easily be overlooked by those who are unaware and ignorant. It made everyone realize how even the smallest contribution can impact people’s life significantly and save many from suffering through extreme pain. Dr. Shazia then began her interactive seminar on “Early detection is the key and a road to recovery”. She explained how breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in females and how everyone is at risk, be it male or female. Dr. Shazia thoroughly explained how lumps can be detected through monthly breast self-check, also explaining how they’re done in great detail, and yearly mammograms and ultrasounds especially for those who have a family history of breast cancer and those who are above the age of 40-45 years. She also explained that not all lumps are cancerous, while they still require the person to get checked by a professional doctor. She continued that once detected a person should get 2 or 3 opinions by experienced professionals to get expert advice with open minds, for their future depends on the course of action. Her interactive session made the students share the stories of their families and warmed the hearts of many. She concluded by once again stressing how important early detection is and how we need to save ourselves by making changes in our lifestyles. Dr. Hina was then invited to share her views on the topic. She gave an overview of how family physicians can help guide patients on what course of action they should take and direct them to the doctors who specialize in their respective ailments. Dr. Hina insisted on maintaining a healthy lifestyle so the modifiable risk factors can be taken care of in particularly in preventable diseases. She appreciated the efforts of PISES to take the initiative of motivating future mothers of the nation towards healthy living. The guests were presented with souvenirs including handmade canvases and shields. Earlier, a bake sale event was held at PISES as a part of the breast cancer awareness campaign. This event was organized under the guidance of the coordinator of PISES girls’ wing Sajida Emran and the senior faculty of A levels. The bake sale event was mainly conducted by AS and A2 girls. Everyone put a marvelous amount of effort to make the sale successful. A variety of food items, accessories and books were sold along with a lot of different activities including henna work, face painting etc.