JEDDAH: Breast cancer campaign organizers here are calling on women to help them form a massive human “Pink Ribbon” chain on Oct. 28 that will gain them entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. The “A Woman's Stand” campaign has been organized under the patronage of the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Foundation and taken up by Princess Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan Al-Saud, the Al-Bidayah Center, and the Zahra Breast Cancer Association. The “Pink Ribbon” campaign is aimed at raising awareness about breast cancer and is in full swing in Saudi Arabia. Women are being asked to go to the Ministry of Education's Sports Complex for the special attempt. “We hope to raise awareness about breast cancer, its effects and causes, while letting women and families affected by this disease know that they are not alone,” said Princess Reema. “The number of women affected by breast cancer in Saudi Arabia is growing,” said Dr. Modi Batterjee, campaign spokesperson, volunteer for the Zahra Breast Cancer Association and founding member of the Al-Bidayah Center. “There is a lack of awareness even though breast cancer affects a significant number of people. We at the Zahra Association want to work with the Saudi population to inform them and end any misconceptions or stigmas associated with this disease,” he said. Contrary to popular knowledge, breast cancer affects both men and women. According to figures reported by the Saudi Cancer Registry, 49 percent of cancer cases reported in the Kingdom in 2005 were men, while the other 51 percent were women. In 2005, a total of 10,513 cases of breast cancer were reported which makes breast cancer the most common form of cancer in Saudi Arabia. Even more troubling, is that 30 percent of cases in Saudi Arabia are in women under the age of 40. According to Dr. Muna Baslaim, a breast surgeon and head of the Breast Unit at King Fahd General Hospital in Jeddah, “approximately 70 percent of breast cancer cases in Saudi Arabia are diagnosed when victims are in the advanced stage of the disease, which means the survival rate is lower than in nations where more cases are diagnosed early.” Avon Beauty will be sponsoring an Avon “Walk of Life” which falls in line with their Avon Breast Cancer campaign that was launched in 1992. “At this event, together we will unite for one cause and one goal,” said Ghada Al-Sobahi, Media and Public Relations Supervisor.
