LAHORE: The Fatima Jinnah Medical University organised an international awareness seminar on cancer diagnosis and treatment here on Tuesday. Known international cancer specialists including Prof Dr Azra Raza from Columbia University, USA, and Professor of Biophysics Dr Stavroula Kousteni attended the event, besides FJMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Masood Gondal and faculty members. FJMU senior doctors said the event was arranged following the reports that cancer has become a growing burden in Pakistan in recent times. They said the WHO has reported a steady increase in the incidence of cancer in Pakistan. Quoting a recent study, they said breast cancer (24.1pc), oral cavity (9.6pc), colorectum (4.9pc), esophagus (4.2pc), and liver cancer (3.9pc) are the five most prevalent cancers in Pakistan. The experts stressed that there was dire need to hold such events frequently to create maximum awareness about the disease as there was a scarcity of cancer treatment facilities across the country. Prof Azra Raza said if cancer is diagnosed timely and treatment is started accordingly, the life-threatening disease can be averted. She said various modern technologies and innovations for early diagnosis of cancer cells have been introduced world over, adding that elimination of the mother cancer cell is essential to get rid of the disease. Prof Stavroula Kousteni shed light on the causes of cellular changes at the cancer site, saying that the development of biomarkers in various diseases causes the proliferation of cancer cells.