Breast cancer to be tackled at Abu Dhabi Medical Congress in October
A leading expert in the battle against breast cancer is organising a conference dedicated to the subject to be held in the UAE in October. Dr. Nagi Khouri, Director of Breast Imaging at John Hopkins Hospital in the United States will lead the inaugural, Current Concepts in Modern Breast Healthcare Conference when it takes place as part of the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress.
“Currently in the Arabic World of those women diagnosed with breast cancer 80% are in an advanced state, and for the most part incurable,” he said. “In the western world, of those women diagnosed with breast cancer, 20% are incurable. It’s almost the exact opposite,” he added.
Dr. Khouri revealed that American women had similar statistics to the current situation in the Middle East around 40 years ago. The aim is now to have the Middle East match the rates found in the United States today, which although is seeing an increase in the number of cases of breast cancer being diagnosed is overall witnessing a consistent fall in the number of women dying from the disease.
He believes the huge reduction in women being diagnosed with incurable breast cancer over those four decades can be attributed to three factors.
“Firstly by raising breast cancer awareness; secondly by early detection through to treatment and lastly by implementing programmes for screening the population,” he said and pointed out, “awareness involves two important aspects, awareness of women, but also the awareness of physicians. Both groups have to know how common breast cancer is and the signs for early detection.”
Expanding on this point Dr. Khouri said: “Breast cancer if caught early is almost 100% curable. It’s essential to catch it early, but it needs to be understood who’s at risk? There are lots of misunderstandings, but being a woman, age and family history are involved.
“75% of those who develop breast cancer don’t have any other risk factor other than being women. Also, in the west less than 5% of cases occur under the age of 40. In the Middle East, Africa and Asia there is no hard data, but it could be around 20% under 40.”
These are alarming statistics, but Dr. Khouri believes the UAE is stepping up its efforts to tackle the issue, but it’s no easy task.
“It’s being tackled in an organised way. The desire of the leaders of the country, [HH] Sheikha Fatima, and the health authority are trying to introduce a federal programme,” he said. “Things aren’t going to change overnight, but it’s a very important phase,” he added.
Dr, Khouri is keen to play his part, and a workshop will be held during the conference that will specifically be designed to help professionals working in the field.
“At the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress we’ll run a course, together with John Hopkins over two days,” he said. “It will include what the challenges are, the status of care, also how to approach it on the social level and this will include learning about what women have to face when they are diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s a broad programme and very intense,” he added.
The Current Concepts in Modern Breast Healthcare Conference will run over two consecutive days from October 26-27 during the Abu Dhabi Medical Congress at the National Exhibition Centre.
