The conclusion of the breast cancer awareness campaign at King Khalid University.

On Tuesday, the 25 of October 2016, King Khalid University concluded activities of raising awareness of breast cancer in 2016. This was done in collaboration with Zohra Association in Abha. The concluded activities were under the slogan "Ten years # and we continue." The campaign which was launched last Thursday began from the theater of the College of Science for Girls and then to the university center for girls study in the last two days. It was undertaken in order to examine the largest segment of students and faculty members. The participated students of King Khalid University were from all colleges, in addition to students and teachers from 12 High Schools in Abha, who participated in the campaign for the first time since it was launched years ago.

50 women were suspected.

The campaign has included lectures presented by the Scientific Committee of the university, and the arcana of awareness, in addition to a clinic equipped with a physician who received more than 200 visitors and their relatives. 50 of them have been transferred to the Saudi German Hospital because they need to have a complete examination on the breast. For her part, the dean of the University Center for the study of the girl students, Dr. Oula Alhakan, said, "This campaign has been an initiative from Zohra Association of breast cancer, in collaboration with the King Khalid University, represented by the Deanship of Student Affairs." She added that the campaign was set up to provide the students in the region with enough awareness about the disease and the ways of preventing it, plus the importance of its early detection. Dr. Alhakan noted that the awareness of breast cancer has been increased in the pinky month of October.

Zohra Association began in 2006. Dr. Alhakan added that the audience included mothers, sisters, and teachers, because of their role in a large community in creating awareness, and in highlighting the importance of periodic examination, the objectives of which is to form a conscious and healthy society.

14 Saudi females among 100 thousand catch the disease

The Estimate shows that 14 Saudi females among 100 thousand catch the disease. In this context, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University Center for the study of the girls students, Dr. Iman Al Nashar, revealed in a research presented during the campaign, that benign tumors could be removed in most cases, and would not reappear again, or spread elsewhere in the body, unlike malignant tumors called cancer, which spreads within the body, and which is capable of destroying the neighboring cells and the rest of the membranes. Dr. Al Nashar further explained that breast cancer was the most common tumors in women in Saudi Arabia, by one-third of all the other malignant tumors, and is the most important and most dangerous cancer which affects women in terms of mortality, as well as in the rate of infection. She revealed that 14 Saudi women among 100 thousand catch breast cancer and that a woman out of every eight women is susceptible to breast cancer at some time in her life. She also emphasized that the number of cases of breast cancer in Saudi Arabia has reached 2,741 cases (according to the National Registry statistics for tumors), representing 20.6% of all new cancers detected among women, and the number of 5,617 cases, including 800 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in Saudi Arabia, and 64% of the cases occur before the age of fifty in the Western countries and the majority of such cases occur between the ages of 60 and 65. Dr. Iman noted that early detection is low and the rate of detection of breast cancer in its early stages is very low in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which is no more than 15%, compared with 85% in the United States, and that the cure rate for breast cancer exceeds 97% if the tumor is still in its first stages. She explained that the delay for detecting lessens the percentage to 25% and that the incidence of breast cancer returning due to the lack of early detection, and here comes the importance of this campaign. In this aspect, Dr. Iman emphasized the need for examination to make sure if there are any tumors in the breast, whether by ultrasound or by mammogram screening or even by taking a sample of breast screening tissues. While 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases have genetic causes, namely distortions in the work of natural genes, such as BRCA2, and BRCA1, it is noted that women with abnormalities in these two genes are susceptible to this disease by 80% more than other women. It is also not necessary that a woman carries genes to be infected with breast cancer, because there are other factors that help the emergence of cancer, if the genetic test is positive, in the sense the presence of a genetic defect, this indicates an increased in the likelihood of developing breast cancer, without specifying when or the possibility of its occurrence. The doctor continued, "In fact, women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer without a family history of the condition, between 70-90 %, this does not eliminate the family history factor in increasing the chance of infection, where infection multiplies in cases of close relatives (mother, sister or daughter)."

Contraceptive pills do not raise the risk

Dr. Iman added in her research that there is a possibility based on several studies, that is connected to the assertion that the use of contraceptives through the mouth leads to the slight increase in the proportion of susceptibility to breast cancer, and that the current forms of oral contraceptives do not increase the risk of breast cancer, indicating that the use of estrogen or progesterone, after menopause, leads to a higher incidence of breast cancer, calling for the need to discuss the benefits and harms of this treatment with the doctor before one starts using them. With regards to the existence of a relationship between obesity and breast cancer, and between obesity and food rich in fat, especially after menopause, Dr. Iman said that fat turned the other hormones into estrogen, and thus raise the incidence of cancer, especially breast cancer, and obesity does not constitute an additional factor if developed since childhood. She also showed that exercise, especially walking, reduce the incidence of breast cancer, and if exercise is undertaken regularly for a period of 1.25 - 2.30 hours per week, it will lead to alleviating the risk by 18% because exercises positively affect the level of estrogen and progesterone by reducing their percentage in the body, and they enhance immunity in the fight against cancer.

90% are unaware of the factors and prevention.

Another presenter at the activity was the Vice - President of University Center, the Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing, Dr. Nemma Reyad, who is also the Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Physiological Department. Dr. Newman Reyad has earlier carried out a study by sending out questionnaires to about 600 females among students and visitors in the age group between 18 - 45 years. Results showed that 90% do not have adequate information about the disease, about the causal factors and about ways to prevent it, as there is false information about self-examination. Results also revealed their fear of the disease, and not knowing Almamumajram ray.

Al Mushayt: the campaign corrected the misconception.

For her part, the member of the Shura Council, who is also the member of the Board of Zohra Association, Dr. Mona Al Mushayt, confirmed that, based on the campaign, recommendations to correct concepts and misinformation about the disease were provided, and the emphasis was on the fundamental objective, which focuses on the importance of early screening and self-examination periodically.

It is noteworthy that more than a thousand women from various educational institutions in the region have benefited from the campaign, which was concluded by a number of daily draws on a mobile iPhone 7 as well as competitions for the best slogan or a short video of the campaign, In addition to in-kind gifts.