RAWALPINDI: During a lecture, presenters alerted attendees about Pakistan’s concerning rise in pediatric instances of eye cancer.
Speaking at the seminar named “Story of challenges and opportunities,” Prof. Dr. Tayyab Afghani, Head of Oculoplastics, noted that Pakistan had a higher rate of pediatric eye cancer than China and India and that genetic diagnostics can lower the incidence of pediatric eye cancer.
500 of the 2,000 youngsters with eye cancer who have been registered, according to Dr. Afghani, have totally recovered.
According to him, the side effects of the procedure, such as facial scars, regenerate the skin, restoring the patient’s quality of life.
Free surgery, chemotherapy, and rehabilitation are provided under one roof at the Al-Shifa Eye Cancer Center.
Speaking at the event, President Al-Shifa Trust retired Maj-Gen Rehmat Khan stated that our hospital is a unique resource for treating patients with eye cancer since every step of the process is managed under one roof, from evaluation to chemotherapy and rehabilitation.
Men, women, and children in particular who cannot afford the treatment are among the patients; according to him, 86% of patients with eye cancer are under the age of 18.
The eye cancer center is supported by two sister departments: ophthalmology genetics, which offers genetic screening of parents to determine whether there is a chance of cancer in the offspring and offers suggestions for prevention.
The aesthetic department, which is the second division, works to lessen the negative effects of radiation and chemotherapy on the face and skin.
For children who have been diagnosed with eye cancer, the Al-Shifa Eye Cancer Centre has successfully completed 2,500 chemotherapy sessions over the last three years.
