What We Need to Know about Breast Cancer
For some, October may merely be a month of remembering; yet, for others, it may be an opportunity to draw attention to and raise awareness of breast cancer celebrating all warriors and heroes in the UAE and across the globe.
We see the colour pink fill campaigns and programmes, even advertisements at the mall or across social media. This pink movement, which began in 1985, primarily aims to encourage screening and prevent the disease by educating about its risk factors, highlighting the significance of early and regular screening, fundraising for research, and supporting individuals diagnosed with the disease.
According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer accounted for the most commonly diagnosed cancer among females of all ages in the UAE in 2020. This year, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), in collaboration with the Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) represented by the Pink Caravan, introduced the “Screen and Reassure Us” campaign to mark the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month and deployed free screening services throughout the country along with information and awareness drives.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The genetic risk factors of the disease are gender, age, race and family and personal health history. Other lifestyle risk factors may be avoidable, such as lack of physical activity, poor diet and being overweight or obese. Even men can be diagnosed with the disease, and at least one in 100 cases of the disease is identified with a man. Early detection can lead to appropriate and successful treatment. This can be possible through self-examination, regular clinical examination and a mammogram.
As you end reading this piece, we hope you accept the duty of spreading awareness to your family and friends, reaching out to affected individuals whom you may know, browsing through self-examination procedures, and if you’re 40 and up, scheduling the clinical examination. We hope that beyond the breast cancer awareness month, we can count on you to join warriors and advocates in this fight against the disease. Here are some helpful websites to get more information: