Ajman goes pink for cancer awareness

Feel the Bumps - Look for Lumps' is one of the campaigns launched in Ajman to raise awareness on breast cancer.

Free screening for breast cancer, a walkathon and road humps and pedestrian crossings painted in pink are a few initiatives launched in Ajman as part of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Hundreds of pink balloons were released at Amina Hospital at the launch of 'Early Detection is the Best Protection' campaign with a 'Sign and Support initiative' on Saturday. The campaign is supported by the Ajman Municipality and Um Al Moumineen Women's Association.
Amina Hospital will be offering clinical breast examinations, mammograms and a specialist consultation for free of cost for those who register in October. The hospital aims to spread awareness for the early detection of breast cancer and screen as many people as possible during these months, hoping to extend 1,000 mammograms during the campaign period, said Dr Marc Reummler , COO and hospital director of Amina Hospital.
In addition to the special screening offer, a month long campaign known as the 'Feel the Bumps - Look for Lumps' has also been launched. As a symbolic representation of the campaign, all road humps and pedestrian crossings will be painted pink on the Corniche Road, raising awareness for the early detection of breast cancer.
Also, a walkathon is being planned on October 10 in association with Um Al Moumineen Women's association in Ajman.
The walkathon will begin from Al Rashidiya Park and will finish at the Um Al Moumineen Women's Association where a breast cancer awareness lecture and self-check screenings will be provided by specialist doctors. Amina Hospital shall also release their breast self-examination tutorial during this occasion, said Fadhila Almouaini, senior management member at Um Al Moumineen Women's Association.
The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) said in a statement that '45 per cent of cancer-related deaths in 2014 were among women.
Statistics also show that breast cancer was the third most common type of cancer-related death case for both genders, accounting for 11.1 per cent of all cancer deaths. In the UAE, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with the number of breast cancer cases having increased by around 20 per cent since 2009, states the DHA. Among Emirati females in particular, breast cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2013 (accounting for 22 per cent of cancer diagnosis). The figure marks a drop, however, as breast cancer used to be the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among both genders.
"The good news is that survival rates are increasing because of the awareness of the importance of early detection. In the 1970s, around five out of 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer survived and now it's more than eight out of 10, with almost two out of three women now surviving beyond 20 years of the initial diagnosis, according to cancer research in developed countries," said Dr Krzyosztof, specialist surgeon at Amina Hospital.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Ajman