Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Pakistan, claiming over 91,000 lives in 2013. A study found that new lung cancer cases doubled between 1990 and 2013, increasing from 7,700 to 15,500 among men. Meanwhile, breast cancer cases more than tripled in women during this period, from 16,900 to 54,400, and breast cancer deaths more than doubled among women, rising to 16,200 in 2013. The study highlights that cancer poses a major health threat in Pakistan and worldwide.

1. Highest fatalities in the country
are because of lung and breast cancer

2.  In Pakistan various kinds of cancer have
claimed over 91,000 lives in 2013 and an
increasing trend was witnessed in new cases
of fatality from lung cancer among men and
breast cancer among women across the
country between 1990 and 2013.

3.  Study was conducted by an international
consortium of researchers led by the
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
(IHME) at the University of Washington

4.  Study shows that number of new lung cancer
cases has doubled in 23 year span of 1990 to
2013 increasing from 7,700 to 15,500.
Among the leading cancers, the number of
new cases of esophageal cancer in men was
one of the lowest at 5,600 in 2013.
Among the top 10 causes of cancer death in
Pakistan, mouth cancer showed the lowest
number of male deaths at 3,400 in 2013.
Meanwhile prostate cancer cases have
increased more than threefold during this
period due in part to population growth and
aging.

5.  During this same period breast cancer cases
among women more than tripled, from
16,900 to 54,400.
 Deaths from breast cancer were the highest
for women, more than doubling to 16,200 in
2013, up from 7,100 in 1990.
 Within the top 10 causes of cancer incidence
for women, leukemia showed the lowest
number of new cases at 4,400 in 2013, up
from 1,700 in 1990.

6.  “Cancer remains a major threat to people’s
health in Pakistan and around the world,”
said oncologist Dr Christina Fitzmaurice, a
Visiting Fellow at IHME and lead author of
the study in a statement.
 Meanwhile talking to The Express Tribune, Dr
Minhaj us Siraj, deputy director health at
Capital Administrati and Development
Division (CADD) said sadly in Pakistan the
burden of noncommunicable diseases is
increasing as compared to communicable
diseases.