Lakshmi Narain College of Pharmacy hosted a seminar on Breast Cancer Awareness on 19th October, 2023 which was attended by B. Pharm, D. Pharm, M. Pharm students and faculty members. The esteemed speaker was Dr. N Ganesh, FICER, Consultant Oncogenetics, Head & Senior Scientist, Dept. of Research, Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital & Research Centre.
The session formally commenced with a welcome note by Dr Parul Mehta, Director LNCP. She gave an introductory overview regarding Breast Cancer Awareness which was followed by Dr. Sunil Singh sir, Group OSD and Dr. Amitbodh Upadhyay sir, OSD LNCTS.
The seminar began with Dr Ganesh emphasising the need to create awareness regarding the early signs and symptoms of Breast Cancer among the community that can eventually lead to early detection, diagnosis and better prognosis. He also highlighted the importance of bringing lifestyle modifications to decrease the risk of developing cancers. He also mentioned the National data in this context, which was an eye-opener for the audience and panel members.
He with his expertise, gave an in-depth overview of the danger signs, and patient presentation, followed by a discussion of the prognosis to the patient and family in the OPD regarding breast cancer. He voiced his disappointment regarding the poor patient turnover during the initial stages of the malignancy, reinforcing the importance of awareness and discussed the significance of patient education on minor procedures like fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for breast cancer diagnosis. He gave an insight into how to handle patients from different demographic backgrounds, as cultural, religious and social norms can vary.He then shed light on the common myths and misconceptions surrounding breast cancer and the obstacles doctors face in debunking such misunderstandings. The audience was surprised by the real-life examples given and how such concepts are circulating in the community.
The entire panel was in consensus on the concept of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), which covers the patient’s mental, physical, and social well-being along with rehabilitation.
The session was closed with remarks by advocating the vitality of a 5-minute self-examination leading to early detection of Breast cancer and its cure. A take-home message for the students was to actively advocate prevention and awareness amongst the masses regarding breast cancer. The seminar was coordinated by Mrs. Neelima Mishra, Asst. Prof.
