BREAST CANCER FORUM TARGETS SCHOOLGIRLS

JEDDAH: Dr. Eman Al-Ayesh, internist at King Fahd Hospital, delivered a comprehensive lecture on breast cancer to intermediate and high school students at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) yesterday.

“In the Kingdom, 22.6 percent of cancer cases are diagnosed as breast cancer. It’s very dangerous because 70 percent of the cases we treat are in late stages, which decreases chances of recovery and increases the cost of treatment,” said Al-Ayesh to a large audience of private school students and teachers.

The JCCI worked in close cooperation with the Private Schools Educational Owners Committee and Sheikh Mohammad Al-Amoudi’s Chair for Breast Cancer Research at King Abdulaziz University to organize the first breast cancer awareness forum, entitled “Our Students, Our Partners.”

“Our target in organizing this forum is the youth. We want to spread awareness among intermediate and high school students so that we create a knowledgeable generation ready to deal with crises,” said Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi, a breast cancer survivor and chairwoman of Al-Amoudi’s Chair for Breast Cancer Research.

Al-Amoudi explained that since changing the older generation’s ideas about breast cancer and the importance of early mammograms was such a challenge, her thoughts turned instead to addressing young girls and teenagers. “We consider our girls to be our ambassadors in delivering the message to the older generation. We also want to educate them and get them involved in meaningful social and human activities,” Al-Amoudi said.

In explaining the stages of breast cancer and the different medical treatments, Al-Ayesh highlighted the differences between benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) tumors. She said that in the Kingdom, 20 percent of breast cancer cases occur before the age of 40 while in America only 7 percent occur before the age of 40. Breast cancer symptoms vary widely — from lumps to swelling to skin changes — and many breast cancers have no obvious symptoms at all. Symptoms that are similar to those of breast cancer may be the result of non-cancerous conditions such as infection or a cyst.

“Thus, self-examination is mandatory. It should be part of your monthly health care routine, and you should visit your doctor if you experience changes in your breast,” said Al-Ayesh, as she demonstrated how to do a breast self-exam to the students.

According to breastcancer.org, studies show that regular self-exams, combined with annual checkups, improve the chances of detecting cancer early.