Under the high patronage and presence of the Lebanese First Lady Mrs. Wafaa Sleiman, the Ministry of Public Health launched the 2013 National Breast Cancer Awareness campaign in partnership with the Breast Center of Excellence at the Naef K. Basile Cancer Institute (NKBCI) at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation (LBCF) and Roche Lebanon, on Saturday October 5, 2013.
The organizers chose to form a human pink ribbon, the international symbol of breast cancer awareness, on the American University of Beirut’s (AUB) Green Field, with the participation of the First Lady, ministers, dignitaries and breast cancer survivors to remind women of the significance of screening for early detection and to celebrate survivorship.
Breast cancer is a major health issue in Lebanon and the Middle East with a staggering 1700 new cases every year in Lebanon. Many women often do not seek initial health care; only doing so after experiencing symptoms and after the disease becomes large and obvious. “Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women but above all it is a disease that can be defeated,” stated the First Lady urging all women to conduct necessary tests for early detection and stressing on the objectives of the awareness campaign of spreading information, facilitating diagnosis and securing treatments without any financial barriers.
Highlighting the relevance of early detection to enhance the effectiveness of treatment, the Minister of Public Health Mr. Ali Hassan Khalil indicated that this nationwide campaign “spreads a powerful message that early detection can save lives,” adding that the pink ribbon initiative is a “wonderful and tangible sign of the Lebanese community’s support of the breast cancer awareness campaign.”
Speaking of the laborious efforts of AUBMC, LBCF and the National Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign to promote early detection of breast cancer, Raja N. Khuri Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (FM) and Vice President for Medical Affairs, Mohamed Sayegh underscored the value of teamwork to achieve goals, referring to “the collective efforts to educate the community on the importance of prevention and early detection and addressing the fear of the treatment.”
Professor Nagi El-Saghir, director of breast center at AUBMC’s NKBCI and the president of the LBCF elaborated on the effectiveness of early diagnosis which results in curing over 90% of breast cancer cases without the need of total surgical removal of the breast. “Early detection saves the life and the breast and might allow us to avoid resorting to strong chemotherapy,” he said.
The nation-wide awareness campaign is set to run for three months enabling women to gain access to discounted mammography exams, available till the end of December 2013; with public lectures organized in collaboration with the municipalities and women NGOs and a hotline (1214) set up to answer basic questions related to the campaign and to direct women to the nearest mammography center.
Thanks to these campaigns, which AUBMC has been a critical part of over the past 15 years, a significant downward change in the stages of breast cancer has been observed in Lebanon with relatively less advanced cases and higher survival rates.