Urgent Call to Establish National Cancer Registry in Pakistan

A new research study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia emphasizes the need for a unified national cancer registry in Pakistan to enhance cancer surveillance, policymaking, and resource allocation.

The study titled ‘Cancer Registries in Pakistan: A Scoping Review’ was co-authored by experts from the Aga Khan University (AKU), the University of Wisconsin, and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.

Pakistan recorded an estimated 185,748 new cancer cases and over 118,631 cancer-related deaths in 2022. However, the absence of a national cancer registry leads to fragmented, inconsistent, and incomplete cancer data collection, hindering effective public health efforts.

Dr. Zehra Fadoo, Chair of AKU’s department of oncology, highlighted the importance of cancer registries in providing crucial data on cancer trends, treatment efficacy, and guiding policymaking for an effective national cancer control program.

The study identified 17 cancer registries in Pakistan with varying scopes and geographical coverage. Currently, only 19 cities out of 129 contribute data to at least one registry, facing operational challenges and inconsistent data collection methods.

Sehar Salim Virani from AKU’s department of surgery and the University of Wisconsin emphasized the need for coordinated action, government leadership, and institutional collaboration to establish a national cancer registry, turning fragmented efforts into a unified national response.

The Aga Khan University Cancer Registry (AKU-CR) established in 2009 aims to collect, maintain, and disseminate high-quality cancer data to improve cancer prevention and control. Using CNExT software, the registry has documented over 71,900 cases.

Pakistan's efforts include the National Action Plan for Non-Communicable Diseases, with the Pakistan Health Research Council as the focal point for cancer registry. Despite challenges, the importance of a national cancer registry to address the rising cancer incidence in Pakistan is emphasized.

According to the source: Dawn.