18 million women have been examined so far in the Presidential Initiative for Women's Health
The Egyptian Society of Cervical Endoscopy, headed by Dr. Mohamed El-Azab, held a scientific symposium to raise awareness of breast cancer under the title “Win your battle against breast cancer” on the occasion of the month of celebration and awareness of breast cancer, in the presence of Dr. Hamdi Abdel Azim, Professor of Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University and Chairman of the National Committee of the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health .
The president of the Egyptian Society for Cervical Endoscopy, Dr. Mohamed El-Azab, stressed during his speech that the association’s goal is to raise awareness and train doctors, noting that choosing the slogan “Be one step ahead” has a meaning, which is to encourage early detection of cancers that threaten women so that we can be one step ahead of the disease, especially since A disease such as cancer, if it does not leave an organic trace, leaves a very psychological impact on the woman's life, which makes prevention and early detection better than treatment.
He added that the symposium aimed at a simple explanation for women about breast cancer and the methods and importance of early detection, which will be followed by a number of scientific conferences directed to doctors that are currently being prepared, explaining that early detection of breast cancer achieves very positive results, as well as cervical cancer, which can be prevented by 100% in If prevention and early detection measures are taken.
For his part, Dr. Hamdy Abdel Azim, Professor of Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University and head of the National Committee for the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health, said that the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health has so far examined 18 million women for early detection of breast cancer through examination teams spread throughout Egypt in hospitals. and health units, noting that this figure represents the number of women in two countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands.
Abdel Azim added that in 2018, before the start of the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health, the percentage of late cases reached 51% of women with breast cancer, and after two years of the initiative, the percentage of late cases decreased to less than 25% as a result of early detection, which represents a great success in diagnosis. early.
He revealed that the initiative negotiated with major pharmaceutical companies to provide the latest treatments for breast cancer free of charge, and he said: We have a treatment protocol for breast cancer, similar to the treatment protocols of great countries, in 14 oncology centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health, explaining that this protocol will also begin to be implemented in hospitals affiliated with universities in January. Next, stressing that there is a significant improvement in the treatment of breast cancer, and the matter is no longer worrying as it was in the past, pointing to some misconceptions, such as that detection with mammograms causes cancer, explaining that current mammograms cause very little radiation and do not cause damage.
Dr. Rania Elwany, Executive Director of the Egyptian Society of Cervical Endoscopy, said that the most important step in combating various types of cancers such as breast cancer and cervical cancer is awareness and early detection, which facilitates the necessary treatment, and women must know the necessary periodic examinations and self-examination, which are easy things. protects women, explaining that the cost of early examination for a single woman, starting from the age of 25 to 49 years, costs from 10 to 15 thousand pounds through a test every 3 years, while the cost of treatment for one woman reaches 120 thousand pounds, and therefore awareness and early detection are easier and less much expensive.
