Early diagnosis key to defeat breast cancer

Sheikha Hessa Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah on Wednesday highlighted the importance of early detection in curbing the growth of various forms of cancer.
Statistics of the World Health Organizations (WHO) show that nearly 10 million cancer cases had been detected worldwide in 2000, she said.
Sheikha Hessa made the comments in a statement read on her behalf by board member of Cancer Awareness Nation (CAN) Dr. Hessa Al-Shaheen at the opening ceremony of the fourth course on early diagnosis of breast cancer for high school female students and the closing ceremony of the breast cancer awareness campaign at Radisson Blu Hotel.
"The number of cancer cases worldwide is expected to rise by 50 percent in 2020 to 15 million with the developing countries accounting for some 60 percent of the figure," she said, citing the WHO estimates.
Sheikha Hessa highlighted the significance of public awareness about cancers and building the capacity of medical personnel on early detection in curbing the growth rate of these fatal diseases.
She commended the success of the CAN campaign, jointly organized by the ministries of health and education, the Gulf Cancer Association (GCA) and the WHO in raising the public awareness about the symptoms of cancer.
Meanwhile, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education Dr. Mariam Al-Wutaid expressed joy for honoring the trainers of breast cancer early diagnosis and prevention.
"The trainers have made outstanding efforts in training 41,000 female students on ways of breast cancer early diagnosis and prevention over the last three years," she said.
Dr. Al-Wutaid affirmed the resolve of CAN to change the bleak stereotype about the inability of a woman to live with breast cancer through collaboration with the competent organizations whether public or private.
On his part, CAN Chairman and former minister of health Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Awadhi said the CAN campaign focuses primarily on educating females on risks and symptoms of breast cancer.
"Regular checkups are the key to early diagnosis which leads in turn to curbing the prevalence rate of this disease," he added.
Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh, CAN Deputy Chairman, said 70 percent of Kuwaiti females used to suffer from breast cancer three decades ago, but now this percentage is brought down to 40 percent thanks to females' education.
"Out of 300 breast cancer cases, 210 cases used to be diagnosed in late stages which contributed to high fatality rate. But now only 90 out of the total 300 cases are diagnosed in late stages," he said noting that up to 210 patients healed.
"The rate of recovery in the early stage tops 85 percent and in this case a women doesn't lose her breast after the removal of the tumor," he added.