On January 17th a symposium entitled Breast Cancer was held in Riyadh for two days under the NGHA. The symposium shed the light on new hopes in the discovery of new treatment approaches and prevention through early detection. In addition, coping with the disease and dealing with the psychological effects as well.
There were more that 200 specialist attending this event from inside and outside the kingdom which was held in the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh. Part of the program there were discussions of scientific papers and researches. It also featured most of the recent significant scientific papers presented in the 31st Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, which was held in St. Antonio, Texas, United States.
The head of the Oncology Department at NGHA Dr. Um Al Khair, said that these international papers are important in enriching the activities in the program. According to the discussions, single females are more likely at a risk to develop breast cancer.
Breast cancer is ranked first among the types of tumors by 19% in Saudi women. It is common in the eastern region, followed by Riyadh, Mecca then Tabuk. "70% of breast cancer patients, who received Herceptin in addition to chemotherapy for three years, were cured without the need for surgery." The hematology/oncology consultant at Jordan University, Dr. Sanaa Al Sokhin said.
There is a new treatment which was tested on 100 cases; the patient takes it before undergoing surgery, which preserves the breast so as to prevent full eradication of the breast. The consultant of oncology and radiotherapy at Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital Dr. Essam Al Marshad had revealed the good news in the paper he discussed. "Further research is conducted currently to test the efficacy and the effects of the treatment." Dr. Al Marshad said. Finally he emphasized that cancer can be cured if it was detected in its early stages. Having regular check ups could help in the prevention process.
There was a discussion of three papers by a professor of oncology at Cairo University Dr. Hamdi Abdel Azim. The papers focused on how to predict the effectiveness of chemotherapy and its complications and the differences between patients.
On the other hand, oncology consultant at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh Dr. Tahir Tuwaijri reviewed the latest developments at the World Conference which was held in Texas, where he focused on the treatment of breast cancer, drugs development, the current methods of treatment, and the latest techniques in radiotherapy. He also discussed the role of the awareness and early detection in the face of the disease.
The conference was a great opportunity to exchange knowledge and research outcomes related to the Breast Cancer field, raising hopes for a brighter future in the medical advancement and development.