“Breast cancer is the most commonly found tumor in Saudi women affecting 3,834 women, which is 24.3 percent of all types of cancers detected in the country annually,” said oncologist Muhammad Al-Qahtani in a lecture he gave in Abha recently on the subject of cancerous tumors.
Al-Qahtani said the Eastern Province has the highest rate of breast cancer in the Kingdom while in Asir it is estimated to be 4.4 percent of the total cases in the Kingdom.
The doctor said girls reaching puberty before the age of 12 and women whose menstrual course continuing beyond the age of 55 have a greater risk of the dreaded ailment.
The doctor said that 95 percent of breast-cancer diagnoses can be cured if detected early in the course of the disease. However, he said many women learn of their conditions after the cancer has progressed significantly.
The doctor noted that the disease rate in the Kingdom was smaller compared to the rates in Europe and America. He also pointed out that 90 percent of tumors are benign.
If the skin showed any change in color or any hardness is noticed the matter a check has to be made.
“A tumor consultant surgeon is more capable of quickly diagnosing breast cancer than a gynecologist or dermatologist,” he said.
He said in modern surgery only the affected part of the breast is removed and special care is taken not to disfigure the shape of the breast.
