Health Days 2013

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

"Early Breast Examination Protects Your Life"

Breast cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the breast. These abnormal cells grow and divide faster than normal cells. They can also invade the breast and surrounding tissue and spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body. Breast cancer is a disease of humans and other mammals; while the overwhelming majority of cases in humans are women, men can also develop breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in the GCC States. Between January 1998 and December 2005, 8,347 breast cancer cases were reported – in 1998-2005 Cancer Incidence Report, Of Gulf Cooperation Countries.

Among the recently diagnosed cases, breast cancer has been found to be affecting 23.2% of cancers among females. Bahrain reported the highest incidence of breast cancer. The ASR per 100,000 women was 53.4 for Bahrain followed by Qatar (48.2), Kuwait (46.6), UAE (22.8), Oman (17.5), and finally KSA (14.8).

The breast cancer awareness campaigns and research funding have helped to support breast cancer awareness and research funding to improve the speed of diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Therefore, rates of survival have increased and the number of deaths has decreased due to early detection of breast and new therapies.

Internationally Approved Date: 1 – 31/10/2013

Locally Approved Date: 25/11 – 26/12/1434H

Targeted Group:

All women, especially women aged (18-60 years)
Health associations and organizations for breast cancer.
Physicians and health practitioners in the centers and hospitals.
The public.

Theme of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

“Early Breast Examination Protects Your Life”

Objectives and General Messages of the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2012:

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
Causes of breast cancer.
Most susceptible to breast cancer.
Diagnosis of breast cancer.
Stages of breast cancer.
Methods of treatment of breast cancer (surgical treatment, chemical, radiological and other).
The role of alternative medicine in the treatment of breast cancer.
Prevention of breast cancer.
Breast Self-Examination (BSE).

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Statistics:
According to the Saudi National Record 2008, breast cancer ranked first among cancerous diseases in females in Saudi Arabia, as shown in the following table:

Breast cancer statistics according to the Saudi National Record 2008: