2nd phase of breast cancer screening launched at KAU

The second phase of the early detection for breast cancer screening program was introduced by Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi Center of Excellence in Breast Cancer at King Abdulaziz University on Sunday commemorating breast cancer awareness month.

Early detection screening, comprising of mammogram and other care services, will be offered to all women over the age of 40 in partnership with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer for chemotherapy and KAU’s College of Medicine.

“Early detection is vital because it increases the cure rate to 90 percent,” says obstetrician and gynecologist Prof. Samia Al-Amoudi, who heads the center. “Mammogram screening is a health right for patients.”

Breast cancer is prevalent among women and makes up around 26 percent of all cancers among females in the Kingdom. It not only affects a woman’s health but also impacts her psychologically, socially, and financially.

“My wish is to consider breast cancer a disease of the past,” said Al-Amoudi addressing an audience of physicians, university professors, breast cancer fighters and advocates. “This is achievable by early detection.”

“In the past, awareness was limited to Saudi Arabia, today women proactively ask for mammogram screening,” said Al-Amoudi who is a two-time breast cancer survivor and advocate of women’s health rights. “However, we still have more to do to reach our target because there still remains some advanced cases.”

Arab societies still have reservations in either concealing the disease or fearing the unknown. “This requires health empowerment because the more women will be able to know the importance of mammogram screening and early detection, the better we can help women and change the culture,” she said.
Health empowerment, she said, is most effective through the media because it is able to reach all segments of society.

Awareness alone can reduce mortality rate and improve survival chances by almost one-third, according to Prof. Mahmoud Shaheen, vice chairman of the center and dean of KAU College of Medicine.

“Awareness is more cost-effective than buying equipment, labs, and such. If we’re able to create a right awareness, we will reach our goal in reducing mortality from cancer and chronic diseases in a short time,” he told Saudi Gazette.

Asked about the academic role toward health empowerment, he said physicians are the nucleus to educate society and awareness is a responsibility for the 500 students graduating from the college each year.

“There remains much to improve in the rural areas and cities in the northern and southern regions of the Kingdom in terms of establishing hospitals, healthcare services and promoting awareness campaigns,” he said stressing need for cooperation between ministries of health and education.

“Some steps have been taken so far where more than 30 colleges of medicine were established over the last decade. The Ministry of Health has also built hospitals to also cover these regions.”

Established over 40 years ago, the faculty considers itself one of the leading institutions in the region.

“Pfizer participated in numerous programs in the Kingdom,” said a company representative.

Pfizer is sponsoring the program as part of their social responsibility. “We are proud to support this program because our slogan is always that patients come first. This program is a pioneering step for other medical centers to follow.”

The early detection unit for breast cancer was established in 2012 where 1,291 cases were screened and nine cases were diagnosed.