\'Cancer doesn\'t mean death or painful surgery anymore\'

\'Cancer doesn\'t mean death or painful surgery anymore\' The Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation enligthened Beirut’s Twin Raouche Rocks in pink to send an awareness message about breast cancer. This came in cooperation between Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation, the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) and the Municipality of Beirut.
Many health professionals as well as politician took part in the initiative in order to spread the word.
In his speech, Professor of Hematology-Oncology El Saghir stressed on the importance of the event for a noble human healthy purpose and to add a new defenition to the Arab dictionary which is “surviving cancer”.
He said “Scientific research proved that early diagnosis of cancer, especially breast cancer, leads to a total cure without any deformation of the breast and without full mastectomy of the breast or the lymphotic nodes in the armpit. Potential total cure and partial surgery are the main topics of the awareness campaign, and the early discovery through breast screening and mammography every year after the 40s. We want women to put their fears aside because cancer doesn’t mean death or mastectomy anymore.”
He added “But why the Raouché Rocks? When diagnosing the disease physical, psychological, social and even financial difficulties begin. We are doing our best to provide the best examination and therapy tools to our patients, helped by insurance companies and the Ministry of Health which provides medication. But still, the patient is the one who faces the disease and its difficulties. She is the one who goes through all the stages, until she reaches the safe harbour of health.\"
Professor El Saghir added “we want the women to look at the Raouché Rocks as a symbol of steadiness and surviving difficulties, storms, waves and quakes for hundreds and thousands of years. We want our breast cancer patients and all other patients to be steady as the rocks and we will backthem. We are talking about early diagnosis because there are about 8000 new cancer cases in Lebanon each year, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Health. Among those, 1700 new breast cancer case... there are those who are cured and others are in advanced stages. We remember those and we are working on developing new ways of therapy and support.”
The professor invited all women over 40 to enroll in breast cancer screening programs and mammography. He also encouraged them to eat healthy food and minimise meat and fats, and to exercise.  
The MAyor of Beirutb Nabil Hamad said “there is a movement on a local level to take a lead in the civil community. Beirut is always up-to-date with these activities which are about Lebanese women\'s “ desire to live” because women are the basis of the community.”
He expressed his pleasure to take part in this initiative. He said “We cannot prevent the disease. But we have the ability to get an early diagnosis, that’s how we can kill the disease, as Dr Nagi said, without having to go through complicated surgery.”