JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia entered the Guinness Book of World Records by forming the world's largest human pink ribbon chain at the Ministry of Education Sports Stadium in Al-Rawdah Thursday. The event, part of the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign which is under the patronage of the Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Foundation and the Princess Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan Al-Saud and Al-Bidayah Center for the Zahra Breast Cancer Association, saw the previous record figure of 3,640 beaten by a turnout of over 4,000 women of Saudi and foreign nationalities. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Princess Reema said the occasion would help promote “much needed public awareness of the causes and effects of cancer”. “This will let women and families affected by the disease know that they are not alone,” the princess said. “It's very important that the awareness message gets to each and every woman in not just the Kingdom but the entire world.” With medical procedures available that can detect Stage 1 and 2 breast cancer, Princess Reema said that it was essential to inform women through the media of the need for early check-ups.“Every woman who hasn't been able to join us today will know that we are with her and that she is not suffering alone.” “We have been following the numbers of people intending to take part in the event through Facebook, text messages, the television and other media, and word-of-mouth,” Princess Reema said. “We have people helping and supporting us and who really want to spread the word, people not just from Saudi Arabia but from all over the world, and that's what makes the campaign so exciting.” Contrary to popular belief, breast cancer affects both men and women, with figures from the Saudi Cancer Registry showing that in 2005 males represented 49 percent of cases reported in the Kingdom, a year which saw 10,513 reported cases of breast cancer.
