· EMBRACE highlights the significance of regular screening
to ensure early detection
· The campaign which will run throughout October on the
occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness month
DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 24, 2021
/PRNewswire/ -- MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company,
together with Emirates Oncology Society and Friends of Cancer
Patients (FOCP), has announced the launch of EMBRACE, a campaign to
mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October. The partners will
work together throughout the month to roll out a series of offline
and online activities designed to raise awareness of breast cancer,
encourage regular check-ups and to ensure early diagnosis.
The campaign focuses on the importance of self-examinations,
asking women to check their breasts for pain, changes in size or
lumps or increased swelling under their armpits and not to delay
clinical examinations and regular mammograms. Dubai landmarks, the Burj Khalifa and Dubai
Frame, will be lit up in pink, the traditional color of Breast
Cancer Awareness Month, on 19 October. Other activities include
free screening for the public at the Friends of Cancer Patients'
Pink Caravan at Dubai Frame on 29 October.
Ashraf Malak, Managing
Director, MSD, GCC said, "With the EMBRACE campaign, our goal
is to raise awareness for early checkups so that we can empower
people to happily embrace their tomorrow. Patients are at the
center of all we do and are deeply embedded in our company's DNA
and our legacy of over 130 years. We are working to help prevent
and treat cancer wherever possible in pursuit of our mission to
save and improve lives. To that end we continue to invest in
research and development across the oncology space to deliver
breakthrough innovations such as immunotherapies. Along with
partners such as Emirates Oncology Society and Friends of Cancer
Patients, we hope to encourage more women to get checked early for
breast cancer, helping to improve survival of patients diagnosed
with this disease."
Dr Humaid Al Shamsi, President
of Emirates Oncology Society commented, "The most common
form of cancer among women in the UAE, 1,030
women[1] were diagnosed with breast cancer in the country
last year. While the majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer
will be over 50[2], a small percentage of women under 45 will also
receive a positive[3] diagnosis. If detected early, there is a
99 percent[4] chance of a five-year survival rate. Considering that
among younger patients, a particularly aggressive form of breast
cancer known as Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for
about 10-15 percent[5] of all cases, it is imperative to
stress that women everywhere acknowledge the importance of regular
checks and early diagnosis. It is important to know the signs,
exercise and to maintain a healthy body weight."
According to Globocan 2020, 222[6] individuals in the UAE die
every year ranking as a number one cause of mortality with 11.7
percent of those diagnosed succumbing to the disease.
Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive type of breast
cancer that characteristically has a high recurrence rate within
the first five years after diagnosis. While some people with breast
cancer may test positive for estrogen receptor, progesterone
receptor or overexpression of human epidermal growth factor
receptor 2 (HER2), people with TNBC test negative[7] for all
three.
Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, Director
General, FOCP, added, "According to the American Cancer
Society, when breast cancer is detected early, the 5-year relative
survival rate is as high as 99 percent[8]. This powerful statistic
is a driving force for FOCP's Pink Caravan initiative, which has
been travelling across the UAE since 2011, raising awareness on the
issue, offering free screenings and expert medical assistance,
promoting healthy lifestyles and empowering the nation's citizens
and residents to safeguard themselves against the risk of this
disease. Yes, TNBC is very aggressive with the worst survival rates
compared to other subtypes, but at the same time, the earlier that
cancer is detected, the easier it can be beaten. This is why I urge
the UAE to come forward and join us throughout October, as we
reinforce our key messages of early detection and timely
diagnosis through 21 mobile clinics offering free breast
screenings, 12 expert medical consultations, and educational
awareness lectures in English and Arabic, and our popular Pink
Steps' challenge.
The Pink Caravan has facilitated more than 75,000[9] clinical
examinations between 2011 and 2020 across the seven emirates,
including 13,000 cases detected amongst men.
About MSD
For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical
company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines
and vaccines for the world's most challenging diseases. MSD is a
trade name of Merck & Co., Inc., with headquarters in
Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. Through
our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal
health products, we work with customers and operate in more than
140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also
demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care
through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today,
MSD continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the
prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and
communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic
diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer's disease and
infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola.
MSD products has been present for over 30 years in the GULF
region through its local distributors in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar & Oman and MSD ranks amongst the leading
pharmaceutical companies in the region. MSD provides innovative
medications in several therapeutic areas, including
Anti-Infectives, Diabetes, HCV, HIV, Oncology and Anesthesia in
addition to several specialized Vaccines.
For more information, visit www.msd.com and connect with us on
Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter at MSD GCC.
[1] https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/784-united-arab-emirates-fact-sheets.pdf
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/young_women/index.htm
[3] https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/young_women/bringyourbrave/breast_cancer_young_women/index.htm
[4] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/understanding-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/breast-cancer-survival-rates.html
[5] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/types-of-breast-cancer/triple-negative.html
[6] https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/784-united-arab-emirates-fact-sheets.pdf
[7] Triple-negative breast cancer molecular subtyping and
treatment progress
https://breast-cancer-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13058-020-01296-5
[8] https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/early-detection-of-breast-cancer/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Cancer,clinical%20breast%20exams%20and%20mammograms.
[9] https://www.pinkcaravan.ae/statistics-since-2011/