• Home
• /
• Opinion

KT edit: Early detection helps

As we move past the taboos associated with breast cancer, we need to make sure that the survivors are heard

Efforts to reduce deaths from breast cancer have long focused on early detection, and the strategy has worked well across geographies. In the US, the average five-year survival rate for women is as high as 99 per cent. We have similar experience in the UAE where efforts to raise awareness about the disease are not just restricted to the month of October, but are run across the year. For instance, the Pink Caravan, an NGO that operates mammography units across the UAE, has done an exemplary job of letting people know about the positives of an early detection. More people are familiar with treatment options as well as palliative care for the disease. Also, what's more important is that both men and women are now aware that mutating cells don't discriminate between genders and it's not just the women who are susceptible to this disease, but men are equally at risk. 
That's the power of a good public health campaign. As we move past the taboos associated with the disease, we need to make sure that the survivors are heard. They should open up about the treatment and overall experience, which will encourage more patients to seek regular tests. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The numbers can come down if we continue to spread the word.