As a new study reveals many sufferers feel like they are left on their own to come to terms with their diagnoses, Kelly Crane takes a look at what’s out there in terms of support for people living in the UAE.
It is likely that everybody reading this article will know at least one of the hundreds of thousands of women diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide each year. Despite the billions of dirhams, dollars and pounds being invested in prevention, detection and possible cure, according to a new survey of cancer sufferers, what is really lacking is support.
A global study involving 1,270 women in 12 countries revealed that women with Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC) feel left out of the broader breast cancer movement. But, with the launch of a new global support group specifically for ABC (www.advancedbreastcancercommunity.org) that is set to change.
Dr Mohammed Jaloudi, head of oncology and hematology at Tawam Hospital in Al Ain says: ‘It’s tough because people find it hard to talk about things they can’t do a lot about.
‘It’s easy for people to shout about, campaign and raise money for the part we can potentially cure,’ says the Jordanian-American. ‘But it is much harder to highlight the darker side of breast cancer, the side many people are living with.’
‘Let’s start with what ABC is,’ he says. ‘ABC comprises metastatic breast cancer (stage four) and locally advanced breast cancer (stage three). These are the most serious forms of the disease and occur when the cancer has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body, such as the brain, bones or liver. Locally advanced breast cancer occurs when the cancer has spread to lymph nodes.’
The number of cancer patients in the UAE is unknown due to the lack of a national cancer registry.
However, Dr Jaloudi estimates around 70 percent of those diagnosed walk through the doors of his hospital. ‘Around 400 new cases of breast cancer presented last year,’ he explains. ‘So I would estimate it means around 500 overall in the UAE. Around 10 percent of those cases were diagnosed as ABC.’
On top of that there are the people who develop ABC from either stage one or two breast cancer, the most common form of cancer worldwide. ‘Treatments which worked at the beginning may lose effectiveness over time and the focus shifts to surviving, despite the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with disease progression and ongoing treatments,’ he says.
The survey showed patients crave resources and support specific to their needs.In the UAE there are a number of support groups including Angels of Mercy, Friends of Cancer Patients, Breast Friends and Pink Caravan, an on-going campaign. The new website is a hub of resources for people living with ABC including a step-by-step guide to creating a personal plan after being diagnosed, videos of first-person accounts of life with ABC and lists of advocacy organizations, periodicals and medical journals which can help.
‘Websites all help to make the condition a little more acceptable,’ says Dr Jaloudi. ‘We live in a country where certain things are still not talked about openly. This website could provide a vital lifeline for someone in the UAE.’
