Battling breast cancer in Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Early detection of breast cancer is the best guarantee for recovery, and this month Medical Aid for Palestinians has been working to improve community awareness and clinical treatment for the disease across the region:

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, one in 12 Palestinian women develop the disease, making it the most prevalent cancers affecting women in Palestine. Many women in the West Bank, especially those outside major cities, have limited access to health services for diagnosis and treatment. Recognising the need for better care for women affected by cancer, MAP have announced the launch of a new project in partnership with the Dunya Women’s Cancer Clinic in Ramallah.

The Dunya clinic is the first of its kind in the West Bank, and is staffed by an all-female medical team. Our partnership with them will help improve early detection and survival rates for patients with breast and gynaecological cancers through the provision of screening and diagnostic services (including mammography, ultrasound and clinical examination), psychological support and physiotherapy for women undergoing treatment and funding diagnostic tests for women who would otherwise be unable to have them for financial reasons.

We hope through our support for the centre, made possible by the kindness of our supporters, we can help raise survival rates and improve quality of life for patients suffering from gynaecological and breast cancer in Palestine.

In Gaza, breast cancer kills more women than any other form of cancer. Survival rates for breast cancer in Gaza are as low as 40 percent, partly due to a lack of access to screening, diagnosis and treatment. In 2011 there were just four mammography units for Gaza’s population of 1.4 million people, compared with 25 per million in the United States. The issue is compounded by misconceptions around breast cancer among communities in Gaza, including beliefs that it is rare or even contagious.

This week, MAP’s Gaza team sponsored a conference with one of our local partners, the Culture and Free Thought Association (CFTA), to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month. MAP supports the CFTA to provide health education to women in Gaza, including on the issue of breast cancer.

The conference, attended by Minister for Women, Dr Haifa Al Agha, aimed to increase coordination among agencies for improving breast cancer care at all levels in Gaza, including early detection and diagnosis; provision of medicines and surgical intervention; and psychosocial and economical support for patients. The conference also saw the launch of a new book of stories about breast cancer patients and survivors, collated by a young Gazan journalist, aiming to improve awareness among the community.

In the refugee camps of south Lebanon, Palestinian women face similar problems to their sisters in Gaza when it comes to the issue of breast cancer, namely a lack of access to screening, diagnosis and treatment. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our local partner Naba’a held a series of talks in Ein el Helweh and Rashidiyeh camps, where breast cancer survivors talked to local women about their experiences. They helped women understand the symptoms, and emphasised the importance of early detection to recovery. Naba’a have been distributing pamphlets about breast cancer in the community, offering free check-ups by their gynecologist, and supporting the cost of mammograms for some women.