JEDDAH, 5 April 2007 — Saudi Arabia’s first full-fledged cancer awareness center will be established in Jeddah shortly with support from Princess Aliaa bint Abdullah, chairperson of the Disabled Children’s Association’s Social Service Program.
“Princess Aliaa has shown tremendous interest in enhancing public awareness of cancer,” said Dr. Ezzeldin M. Ibrahim, chief medical officer at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Jeddah. The new center will have advanced audiovisual facilities to educate the public about cancer, one of the world’s main killer diseases.
At least 5,000 Saudis are diagnosed with cancer every year in the Kingdom and most of them reach hospital after the disease has reached advanced stages, making recovery difficult.
“The main objective of the center is to encourage individuals and families to carry out early detection and provide them with information about how to prevent the disease by changing their lifestyle and environment,” he said.
“The center, which will be manned by specialists, will also provide guidance on diagnosis and treatment. For example, if a woman with a suspicious lump in the breast comes in, we will advise her to undergo digital mammography and other investigations. This will help detect cancer in the early stage,” Ibrahim said.
“The center will provide information about various types of cancer by phone, email and fax,” he said, adding that the details of the center were yet to be finalized. The idea, the brainchild of Princess Aliaa, has been welcomed by the community and is expected to bring about substantial changes in the Kingdom’s cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The princess was very impressed by the public program held on the sidelines of an international cancer conference organized by the hospital a few weeks ago when she emphasized the need for conducting more such programs all over the country.
While opening the conference, Princess Aliaa stressed the importance of promoting public awareness of the disease, saying “Prevention is better than cure.”
She underscored the tremendous progress achieved by the Kingdom in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Speaking about the significance of the center, Dr. Ibrahim said it would help the public adopt a preventive strategy against the disease through information about changing lifestyles and controlling diets.
“I strongly believe that such centers are essential and must be established all over the Kingdom,” he added.
Ibrahim underscored the conference’s achievement as it helped oncologists in the Kingdom and other Gulf countries to interact with the world’s 12 key leaders in the field and learn the latest developments in cancer diagnosis and treatment. It also opened the door for establishing cooperation with leading research centers in North America and Europe.
“The call for a health education program for the community is one of its major recommendations,” he added.
The conference’s public program drew a record crowd of 1,500 people including a large number of women.
“The number was three times more than we expected,” said Dr. Yasir A. Bahadur, chairman of the organizing committee. Many of them were sent away due to lack of space. The hospital will hold a similar public program at 8.30 p.m. on May 1 at the Inter.Continental Hotel Jeddah. Special arrangements have been made for woman participants.
Dr. Mouhammed Kelta, acting chairman of the Department of Oncology, will speak on cancer and genetics; Dr. Ibrahim on “Information Sources in the Service of Cancer Patients, and Dr. Abbas Zagnoon, consultant gastroenterologist, on alternative medicine.
A number of specialists and surgeons as well as Islamic scholars will be present to answer questions, said Hussam Hassan, head nurse of the Oncology Department.
