December 21st, 2014: A paper revealing the behavior and attitudes of women residing in the UAE towards breast cancer screening has been published in the International Journal of Research Studies in Biosciences (IJRSB). The study was undertaken in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with The Pink Caravan, a breast cancer awareness initiative of The Friends of Cancer Patients charity (FoCP), and written by Dr. Rami El Khatib of the School of Environment and Health Sciences at the Canadian University Dubai.
A total of 496 women volunteered to participate in the study, the majority being Emirati, between the ages of 30 and 39 years old, and a minority older than 60 years, most of whom (91%) having had no family history of breast cancer. Approximately 48% (236) of these women were referred for mammogram or ultrasound, either for having an abnormal clinical breast examination or because they met the criteria of being over 40 years old and had not had a mammogram during the last 12 months.
Out of the 236 referrals, only 88 women responded, and of these, 29 were requested to do a biopsy and two cases of cancer were detected.
According to the results and discussion points of the paper, in the UAE, few studies have been set to test the beliefs, attitudes and behaviors of females towards screening mammography and ultrasound. The study further states there is scope for more concerted awareness efforts, based on the low response rate of Emirati women going for referral mammogram (only 37% up-take).
This makes it, according to Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, Secretary General of Friends of Cancer Patients society and Head of Pink Caravan's Medical and Awareness Committee, all the clearer what needs to be done:
“We absolutely must create more of a community, or ecosystem, that supports and educates women and men in the UAE regarding breast cancer. It is the most common cancer affecting women, and second only to lung cancer worldwide. However, early detection can increase survival rates by almost 98 percent.
“The importance of this in-depth study lies in the accuracy of its data, which has been collected and analyzed by the Pink Caravan team over the past four years. The outcome of this collaboration is further evidence of how much we still need to do to educate people on the importance of screening and early detection. Studies such as this give a clear indication of the level of awareness present and the required effort needed to bridge the gap. Pink Caravan is evidence-based in it's planning and objectives which is why collaborating on such research is important”, she said.
For Dr. Rami El Khatib, Chair of the School of Environment and Health Sciences at the Canadian University Dubai and author of the paper, the results of studies like this help provide a framework to work together to find appropriate solutions to challenges:
“This paper that was published by CUD in collaboration with FoCP, indicates the need for more health educational and promotional campaigns among women in the UAE, to increase their awareness of breast cancer screening and to reduce their risk of one of the most common cancers affecting women nowadays. One of the most important factors of this paper was to also highlight the importance of initiatives such as the Pink Caravan in increasing awareness of breast cancer among women in the UAE and the region.
“The paper comes as a result of an MoU that was signed between CUD and FoCP. Such collaboration with an esteemed organization as FoCP is extremely important to the mission of CUD and its valuable contribution to the community locally and regionally. It has enabled both entities to work together on different research projects highlighting the mission of FoCP and the essential role it plays within the community.”
The paper, furthermore, has been used in one of the e-poster sessions presented by the Pink Caravan during Friends of Cancer Patients’ participation in the 2014 World Cancer Congress, which took place in Melbourne, Australia from 2nd to 6th December 2014.
Since its inception in 1999, Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) has delivered moral, financial and clinical support to over 1,100 patients and their families whose lives have been affected by cancer. Pink Caravan breast cancer awareness campaign was launched under FoCP’s Kashf initiative and has provided free early breast cancer detection screenings to 28,949 women and men across the UAE, since 2011 to date. The Pink Caravan Ride has travelled over 940km across the seven emirates, engaged 250 equine riders, provided awareness lectures at 84 schools and set up over 410 mobile medical clinics offering free screenings. A total of 28,949 people have benefited from free screenings provided by Pink Caravan, including 6,531 men.
The scientific paper: “A Study of Women’s Behaviour and Attitude towards Breast Cancer Screening Examinations in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates” can be read by visiting www.arcjournals.org.
In the Media:
http://gulftoday.ae/portal/6a16a1c4-da26-4d84-b441-88230af9cd2e.aspx
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/health/emiratis-must-be-breast-cancer-aware
http://www.fananews.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA/1328273/
http://www.zawya.com/ar/story/WAM20141220183039132/
http://gulftimes.ae/paper-on-the-attitude-of-women-in-uae-towards-breast-cancer-screening-published/
http://dubai-easy.com/2014/12/20/emiratis-must-be-breast-cancer-aware/
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