PESHAWAR: A book written by a cancer survivor offers hope to others with the disease as she shares her story from diagnosis to treatment to recovery, highlighting financial and psychologicalissuesfacedby patients.

The author, Associate Professor Zobia Afsheen, heads the Department of Health and Biological Sciences at the Abasyn University Peshawar, holds a PhD degree in microbiology and has 23 years of experience in the fields of teaching, research and administration.

In the `first-ever book by a cancer survivor, she noted that she faced harsh attitude from relatives and acquaintances but her close family members stood behind her in trying times that emboldened and encouraged her in battle againstthe disease.

According to the 44-year-old mother of a daughter, Khadijah, 3, she wrote the book not only to spread hope among patients and has taken it upon herself to show up at any cancerrelated event to present her story.`Diseases occur by the will of the Almighty Allah.

Being diagnosed with cancer means death is at hand as the sufferer gets highly frightened. However, one should bear in mind that Islam doesn`t allow its followers to be dejected.

As Muslim, we firmly believe that a day is designated for death,with disease being just a cause for it,` she insisted.

The cancer survivor has given references from the Holy Quran in her 60-page book, suggesting that when a person becomes ill, it is understood that the Almighty Allah is the ultimate Healer, and seeking His help through prayer(dua)is acentralpart ofthe process.

She said the book was her first attempt to address cancer patients, especially their caretakers and family members, about how theirroles could prove a blessing for those undergoing ordeal from diagnosis to treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and related medication.

`Cancer is neither cureless nor a divine curse but it is a war of nerves in which theaffected have to fight and these lines will lead to softening the society`s behaviour towards patients in addition to lessening their trouble, she said.

Associate Professor Zobia said she started to take care of her elder sister in 2003 when the latter got breast cancer.

She added that her sister completed treatment but the problem recurred in 2004, leading toherdeathin2005 atthe age of33.

`During my sister`s treatment, I heard that women should undergo mammography every year after attaining the age of 40 years. In January 2023,1was diagnosed with breast cancer after which I went to the Shuakat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and then Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar where Dr Irum Sabir and Dr Mohammad Tariq started my treatment when diagnosed in January 2023 and completed treatment in April 2024, still in recovery phase,` she noted.

The cancer survivor said her message to women was that they should stay steadfast and undergo mammography to be able to detect the disease at an early stage to make treatment possible.