Specialist highlights link between breast cancer, smoking

Doctors from Sharjah and Dubai said that even as science and technology unabatedly advances, it should be that health be part of daily normal conversations, in order to at least preclude the worst, and everyone as well, given the chance to live at their optimum.

NMC Royal Hospital (Sharjah) Medical Oncology consultant Dr. Abdul Rahman Agha El Kinge and Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital (Al Qusais) General and Laparoscopic Surgery specialist Dr. Vanesha Varik shared their observational data and views, relative to October having turned pink since nearly half a century back.

However, according to the “UN News – Global Perspective Stories” of the United Nations, by 2050, there would be “3.2 million new cases and 1.1 million related deaths each year if current trends continue.”

Regionally and based on their respective 17 and 16 years of experience, El Kinge and Varik reiterated what their colleagues had observed in previous years.

“A notable clinical observation in recent years is the younger age at which patients are presenting compared to those in Western countries with many women being diagnosed in their late 30s or early 40s. A considerable number are still diagnosed at more advanced stages, even as public awareness and screening programmes are improving,” said Varik.

El Kinge’s youngest male and female patients were at 33 and 29 when diagnosed. The oldest man was 72 and the oldest woman was 81.

Both reiterated that lifestyle has been a culprit, with El Kinge adding: “It is clear that male breast cancer accounts for less than five per cent of all diagnosed cases. Yet, strikingly, about three of four of these men were smokers. While smoking cannot be confirmed as the direct cause, around 15 per cent of the women diagnosed with breast cancer had a history of smoking.”

Earlier interviewed regarding lung cancer and so smoking was primarily discussed, El Kinge explained the link between tobacco and breast cancer. Particularly, what must be elucidated through all the educational campaigns and daily chats.

That, even as according to Varik, Artificial Intelligence (AI) “algorithms” have become a huge assist to radiologists in “identifying subtle patterns and anomalies in mammograms and other imaging studies; details that may be difficult to detect with the human eye alone.”

Pointing out that it must not be misconstrued that AI could and would replace “clinical expertise and the judgment of medical professionals, the Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons member added that because of AI, Personalised Medicine would also become more specific because “data-driven care not only holds promise for improving clinical outcomes; but, also enhances the overall quality of life for patients by minimising unnecessary treatments and focusing on what works best for each individual.”

El Kinge said: “We usually hear about smoking causing lung cancer, and it does. But not enough people are talking about its link to breast cancer, especially for women under 50. The truth is, when you smoke, you are not just breathing in tobacco, you are  inhaling it. You are inhaling a cocktail of thousands of chemicals, and dozens of them are known to cause cancer. These chemicals do not just stay in your lungs. They travel through your blood, reaching all parts of your body, including your breasts.

“What is especially important to know is that breast tissue is sensitive, especially when it is still developing, like during your teenage years or before having kids. That is why smoking young, or being around secondhand smoke often, can raise your risk of breast cancer later on,” El Kinge added.

The catch is that one can stub all the tobacco products.

El Kinge cited the successful turnaround of a Dubai resident 45-year-old mother, a smoker growing up and caught with breast cancer in 2023. She obeyed the advice to quit. Quit she did and now is “cancer-free and celebrates every smoke-free day as a victory.”

On that note, El Kinge who volunteered that breast cancer let him lose his mother, said: “As physicians, we have the responsibility that goes beyond the awareness campaigns. Every visit, every conversation, every opportunity to educate or screen; that is where change happens and where lives are saved. Let us stop making the fight seasonal. Let us make it every day.”