Free mammograms for women in need

Your click on the "Click Here to Give - it's FREE" button helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007, 178,480 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,460 die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 2,030 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 450 will die this year.

If detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer exceeds 96%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.

The National Cancer Institute and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that women in their forties and older have mammograms every one to two years. A complete early detection plan also includes regular clinical breast examinations by a trained medical professional. Monthly breast self-exams are suggested in addition. Source

Free diagnostic services for one month

Starting today, diagnostic services to detect breast cancer for expatriates, both men and women, will be provided free of charge at the country’s health institutions for one month, Humaid Mohammed Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Health, has announced.
The minister made this announcement at a Press conference held yesterday to mark the launch of the first breast cancer campaign in the UAE. “The focus has now shifted to fighting non-communicable diseases, mainly cancer, after the country has successfully managed to eradicate communicable diseases,” said Qutami. Dr Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazouei, director of HAAD, said the national drive was an important step in early detection of the disease.

Free mammogram
Lifeline Hospital and Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi have come together to raise awareness about breast cancer and help the population at risk (mainly women) fight this disease.
Under the initiative, women will be allowed a free mammogram facility at Lifeline Hospital between October 23 and 29. Besides, Al Wahda mall will support the initiative by putting up pink decorations, and setting up a breast cancer awareness desk on its premises to offer guidance and information to visitors on this disease. Source

Health Minister launches anti-breast cancer drive

The First National Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign was launched today at the Emirates Palace Hotel by Health Minister Humaid Al Qattami under the the patronage of H.H.Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairperson of Family Development Foundation and Honorary Head of the Higher National Anti-Breast Committee.
The campaign to be held under the title '' Break the Silence - Diagnose it Earlier and Save Your Life' will educate and guide women to understand, learn and have access to information about the importance of early detection as the best method in successfully treating breast cancer.
The Minister paid tribute to Sheikha Fatima for her founding the Committee last year for her care for health of women.

He briefed the gathering about an array of programmes and activities of the Committee.
Dr. Ahmed Al Mazrouie, Chairman of Health Authority - Abu Dhabi - gave a presentation about preparations made to render the campaign a success.
An array of programmes and activities will be lined up at health centres, hospitals, schools, social and cultural clubs and women organizations to ensure delivery of key breast cancer health messages to women in all emirates A healthcare professional will offer advice to local and expatriate women and teach them more about self examination, screening and treatment.
Educational posters and brochures about breast cancer will also be displayed in many public places to encourage women to take notice and be pro-active against Breast Cancer. Source

Saving your skin

With temperatures in the summer pushing 50°C, you'd think most people would prefer to be in the comfort of air-conditioning. But doctors in Dubai say that more and more of us are spending our days sunbathing - at all times of the year - and that the long-term effects of such a lifestyle are a huge worry. ‘It is a fact that there is an increase in skin cancer cases in Dubai - especially among expatriates from outside of this region,' says Dr Ashraf Reda, a Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services-registered skin cancer expert who has worked in Saudi Arabia, the US, Bahrain and Egypt. A principle factor is that expatriates are not just sunbathing in the cooler months - they are doing so all-year round as they get more comfortable with the temperatures. The amount of time they are exposing their skin to UV [ultraviolet] rays from the sun is lengthy - and it is this exposure that is causing skin cancers to develop.

Some people are spending all day in the sun or cooling off in a swimming pool or in the shade means they are not harming their skin. But the damage is not done by the temperature - it is UV rays penetrating the skin.

Dr Reda also believes myths regarding the use of sunscreen need to be addressed. ‘The absolute minimum factor you need to use is 25. Factor 15 is not protective enough,' he explains. ‘Anything less than 25 will not offer much protection. A total sunblock is best but if people want to use a factor then they need to keep applying all day - even if the bottle suggests just one application is necessary. Applying sunscreen should be taken seriously, as it can mean the difference between staying healthy and not.'

There are basically two types of skin cancer - melanoma and non-melanoma. Melanoma is almost always dark coloured and often grows relatively quickly. It can also occur when moles start changing shape or colour, or when they start to feel itchy and bleed. Non-melanoma poses less of a health risk and mostly comes in the form of a small, painless lump under the skin with a pink or light brown colour. Both can be cured but need to be detected early.

In many hot countries, such as Australia and America, health authorities have invested heavily in public awareness campaigns to reduce the amount of skin cancer cases. In the UAE these types of campaigns have been launched but have been low-key. ‘Having a tan is not a sign someone is healthy - it is a sign they are unhealthy,' says Dr Reda. ‘It is the fashion these days to have a tan, but the reality is that this fashion can put your life at risk.' Source

Discovery of breast cancer genes will identify sufferers

Scientists have identified a new genetic basis for breast cancer in a discovery that promises to radically change the way men and women can be screened for the many cancers that can be triggered by faulty genes.
The researchers have discovered mutations in the DNA of four genes that they believe play a small yet significant role in triggering breast cancer in women.
The discovery could lead to new methods of targeting younger women at higher-than-average risk of breast cancer so that they could be screened with mammography before they reach 50 - the age when routine breast screening now begins.
Unlike other genetic variations associated with familial breast cancer, the mutations in these four new genes are relatively common in the population and appear to form part of a bigger community of genes that play a role in breast-cancer predisposition.
However, the wider significance of the genetic discovery is that it brings the day closer when anyone's genome - the entire DNA blueprint - can be screened for the many hundreds of genes that are believed to increase susceptibility to a wide range of cancers. Continue to the full story from source.

Breast Cancer is on the Rise Across Middle East

The incidence of breast cancer in women is increasing rapidly across the region, but those same patients are living longer lives, agree Middle East-based doctors who met in Paris at the 2nd Middle East and Africa Oncology Summit.The good news though, say doctors from Abu Dhabi's Tawam Hospital, is that breast cancer cases are being caught much earlier, a critical factor in successful treatment of the chronic disease.Prevention, early diagnosis, and proper treatment are the only ways to bring down breast cancer statistics in the UAE. But for post-menopausal women, not all current treatments are safe and effective.For many years, adjuvant Tamoxifen has been the 'gold standard' for endocrine therapy in early breast cancer. In recent trials, however, third generation aromatase inhibitors, such as Letrozole, have been shown to be more effective than Tamoxifen in advanced disease, neoadjuvant therapy, and adjuvant therapy."Endocrine therapy, such as Letrozole, remains a very powerful approach to treating breast cancer in post-menopausal women, and with very low levels of toxicity," said Dr. Ian Smith, Professor of Cancer Medicine at the Royal Marsden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research in London, who spoke with regional doctors at the Paris summit. Source

Study: Tomatoes no defense against prostate cancer

Heinz might no longer be able to claim its ketchup can prevent prostate cancer.
The FDA-approved and popularly held notion that antioxidants in tomatoes can prevent prostate cancer appears to be false, according to a large study done by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and National Cancer Institute.
"It was an hypothesis based on observational studies and the fact that cancer can be caused by oxidative damage to DNA," said Ulrike Peters, a Fred Hutchinson scientist and lead author on the report published in the current journal of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
Natural dietary compounds known as carotenoids, especially the antioxidant lycopene, have been proposed as cancer-fighters because of their ability to protect against the kind of chemical and genetic "oxidative" damage in cells that can lead to cancer.
Tomatoes are especially high in lycopenes and some earlier studies, including one done in 2002 by Harvard, found epidemiological evidence that men who ingested large amounts of tomato products had lower risks of prostate cancer.
This, along with other studies suggesting the protective benefit, prompted the Food and Drug Administration in 2005 to allow the world's largest maker of tomato-based products, H.J. Heinz Co., to advertise that: "The risk of prostate cancer may be reduced by eating just 1/2 to 1 cup of tomatoes -- such as a single serving of Classico{+®} pasta sauce -- per week."
The FDA now allows makers of tomato-based products to claim their foodstuffs may reduce the risk of gastric, ovarian and pancreatic cancers as well. Continue to the full story from source.

MoH organizes Cancer Awareness Seminar

Over 100 doctors from the Ministry of Health (MoH) attended a Continuous Medical Education Seminar (CME) held under the patronage Dr. Mariam Matar, Assistant Undersecretary of Preventive Medicine in the Ministry of Health (MoH) for Public Health and Primary Health Care (PHC). The aim of the session titled "Screening for Female Health" took place this morning at Al Baraha Hospital to raise awareness of prevention and early detection of breast and cervical cancer - the two most common forms of cancer to affect women worldwide.

"The CME sessions conducted are crucial for updating the skills of the Primary Health Care (PHC) doctors," says Dr. Mariam Matar, Assistant Undersecretary of Ministry of Health (MoH) "The Public Health and PHC sector is developing central CME programs which include lectures, workshop and research training. This program will enhance and improve the quality of PHC services across the UAE" "This activity comes as part of the Ministry of Healths' ongoing efforts to update Primary Health Physicians on the latest oncological advances," says Dr. Muna Al Kawari, Project Director for Women's Health in Public and Primary Health Care, Ministry of Health. "Breast and cervical cancer are the leading causes of death in women around the world. Through these sessions, our doctors will encourage women in the UAE to implement regular screenings to prevent and detect cancer before it's too late."

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide. As many as eight to nine percent of women will develop breast cancer at some point during their lifetime and more than 1.2 million women will develop it this year. As with most diseases, fear and lack of knowledge are major contributors to delayed detection of breast cancer. "The fact is that although breast cancer may be life threatening, research has shown that early detection significantly increases the chances of survival," explained Dr. Mona Sabelgi, Screening Coordinator, Central Ministry of Health Department, Abu Dhabi. "I urge all women over the age of forty in the UAE to have a mammography test."

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and cause of death in women worldwide. In the UAE it is on the rise with reported cases tripling in 2005. Worldwide there are an estimated 650 deaths, which is the equivalent of 10 women in the Middle East dying every day."Cervical cancer is caused by a virus called the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). This virus is very common and easily transmitted, but thankfully not all females infected with HPV will have cervical cancer," says Dr.Saad Aswad, Consultant Gynaecologist Oncologist in Tawam Hospital, and Associate Professor of Gynaecology, at the UAE University. "The virus once contracted, can survive for years and eventually converts some cells on the surface of the cervix into cancer cells. By killing the virus you eliminate the chance of contracting cervical cancer. Prevention of infection is imperative for all women, this can be done in two ways, regular pap screening tests and being vaccinated against it." These seminars on early detection and prevention of cancer highlight the Ministry of Health's commitment to encouraging women in the UAE to having regular screenings. Source

For more on the Breast Cancer please check: New Drug approved for Advanced Breast Cancer.

New Drug approved for Advanced Breast Cancer

Women with an aggressive form of advanced breast cancer that other treatments have failed to stop gained a new option Tuesday with the approval of a new drug.

The GlaxoSmithKline PLC drug, Tykerb, is to be taken once daily in pill form and is meant for women who have received prior treatment with the intravenous drug Herceptin and older chemotherapy drugs called taxanes and anthracyclines.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Tykerb for use in conjunction with the chemotherapy drug Xeloda. Tykerb would be available in two weeks. It will cost about $2,900 a month, the company said.
The initial results of a study reported last year showed that Tykerb in combination with Xeloda delayed tumor growth for an average of 8 1/2 months, or about twice as long as Xeloda alone. Tykerb worked so well that the international study was stopped early and all participants were offered the drug. However, the later analysis of the results of that study showed the delay actually was closer to nearly seven months for women on both drugs, versus almost five months for those on Xeloda alone.
The FDA said it was too early to know if women taking Tykerb and Xeloda would live longer than those taking the latter drug alone.
Tykerb, like Herceptin, is part of a new generation of cancer medicines that more precisely target tumors without killing lots of healthy cells.
Herceptin has been an important option for many women with advanced, HER2 positive breast cancer, but eventually it stops working and women succumb to the disease.
Both drugs target a protein called HER-2/neu, which tumors make in abnormally large quantities in roughly one-fourth of all breast cancers. While Herceptin targets the outside of the HER2 protein, Tykerb works from the inside of the cell.
Because of that difference, Tykerb works in some HER2 positive breast cancers that have been treated with Herceptin but no longer benefit from the older drug, the FDA said.
Generally, women with HER2 positive breast cancer face a greater risk of disease progression and death. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 women die from metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer each year, the FDA said.
Xeloda, or capecitabine, is made by Switzerland's Roche Holding AG. South San Francisco-based Genentech Inc. makes Herceptin, also known as trastuzumab.
Eventually, Tykerb could be studied for use with Herceptin. Glaxo is studying Tykerb as a treatment for other cancers.
Expanded use of Tykerb eventually could make it a blockbuster drug for Glaxo, with annual sales approaching or exceeding $1 billion, analysts have said.

Latest advancements in treatment of cancer

The four-day international oncology conference that concludes today (Thursday, February 22, 2007), in Al Ain, has addressed a wide spectrum of oncology-related topics including latest advancements in treatment. His Excellency, Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, who formally opened the conference highlighted issues related to cancer prevention, early diagnosis and optimal cure including the need to take into consideration issues relevant to quality of life when treatment decisions are being made. The conference is being hosted by Tawam Hospital in affiliation with Johns Hopkins and the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAE University.
During the conference, the evidence base for treatment options in patients with advanced malignancy was presented by distinguished international faculty; Prof. R. Arceci, Prof. M. Choti, Prof. E. Van Cutsem and Prof. D. Ettinger. The importance of various combinations of drugs used in the treatment of cancer was discussed, as also was the rule of neo (novel) therapies recently developed to be used alone or in combination to treat advanced cancers. Prof. Arceci dealt with cancer of the blood (Leukaemia), Prof. Choti addressed the use of neoadjuvant therapy for liver tumor prior to surgery, Prof. Cutsem referred to colon cancer and Prof. Ettigner highlighted the role of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Continue to the full story from Source.

Unhappy Meals (Part 2)

The continuention of Unhappy Meals:
Last winter came the news that a low-fat diet, long believed to protect against breast cancer, may do no such thing — this from the monumental, federally financed Women’s Health Initiative in US, which has also found no link between a low-fat diet and rates of coronary disease.
The year before we learned that dietary fiber might not, as we had been confidently told, help prevent colon cancer.
Just last fall two prestigious studies on omega-3 fats published at the same time presented us with strikingly different conclusions. While the Institute of Medicine stated that “it is uncertain how much these omega-3s contribute to improving health” (and they might do the opposite if you get them from mercury-contaminated fish), a Harvard study declared that simply by eating a couple of servings of fish each week (or by downing enough fish oil), you could cut your risk of dying from a heart attack by more than a third — a stunningly hopeful piece of news. It’s no wonder that omega-3 fatty acids are poised to become the oat bran of 2007, as food scientists micro-encapsulate fish oil and algae oil and blast them into such formerly all-terrestrial foods as bread and tortillas, milk and yogurt and cheese, all of which will soon, you can be sure, sprout fishy new health claims.
It's quite confusing.....isn't it???

Mammograms for under-50s questioned

Screening women under 50 years old for breast cancer does not significantly reduce deaths from the disease, claim British researchers writing in The Lancet. In this latest study, the team suggest that annual mammograms beginning at the age of 40 will save only four lives for every 1,000 women screened. Consequently, the benefit must be weighted against increased radiation exposure, which could raise breast cancer risk, anxiety caused by false positive results and higher costs for the screening programs. "This trial did not find a significant reduction in breast cancer mortality in women offered annual screening between the ages of 40 and 48 years," said Dr Sue Moss of the Institute of Cancer Research in London.
Read the full story from the Sourse .