Cancer Top Cause of Death of Emiratis

By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter

More Emiratis died of cancer in Dubai last year than any other leading cause of death, including heart disease and traffic accidents, the common causes of death in the UAE.

According to the annual health statistical report on the emirate, issued recently by the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohmhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifs), cancer killed 17.1 per cent of Emiratis admitted to hospitals in Dubai, followed closely by heart disease at 16.6 per cent. A total of 199 Emiratis died in Dubai hospitals last year.

However, heart disease becomes the leading killer once expatriate cases are factored in at 17.8 per cent, followed closely by cancer at 17 per cent. A total of 731 deaths were recorded in Dubai last year.

A total of 7,481 people were treated for cancer at Dubai Hospital, which has the only oncology department in Dubai.

While admitting that cancer cases were on the rise, Dr Fareed Khalifa, head of oncology at Dohms, also said the numbers did not present an accurate picture of the cancer situation in Dubai.

"The numbers are high because Dubai Hospital [other than Tawam Hospital in Al Ain] is the only hospital that cancer cases are referred to [from all over the UAE]," he told Gulf News.

"Other hospitals, public or privat! e, don't treat cancer but they do treat heart disease and others," he added.

Shortage
He said what the statistics have done instead was to underscore the shortage of cancer centres and treatment options for patients, and highlighted the need to build more cancer centres and facilities to treat cancer.

Dubai and Tawam hospitals are having trouble meeting current demands, suffering from bed shortages and long waiting lists - forcing many patients to seek treatment overseas.

A cancer centre, under the Ministry of Health, is under construction in Ras ! Al Khaimah, but is only expected to be complete by 2009.

SIOP - Asia Continental Conference

The SIOP-Asia Continental Conference

Muscat - Oman

Feb 2008

For more information

Visit www.infomedweb.com/ourevents/SIOP2008

Zakia Al-Lamki MB.ChB; FRCP; FRCPCH

Associate Professor

Consultant-In Charge; Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

Busaidy8@Omantel.net.om

Oman's cnacer incidence data are now avaible on the MoH web site

http://www.moh.gov.om/nv_menu.php?fNm=reports/report.htm

New Articles From Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Yemen

New Articles from Jordan, Qatar, Yemen and Egypt have been added to the our website. Please check gulfoncology.org and search under country or year.

Gala Dinner to Help Poor

By REBECCA TORR

COMPANIES and individuals are! urged to back a charity dinner and dance in support of the poor and needy in Bahrain.

The Ecumenical Conference of Charity's Annual Fundraiser will be held on October 26 at the Dilmun Club, Saar.

It will feature music from the Dilmun Dixielanders and there will be performances by singer Lisa Morgan, accompanied on piano by Lis Holman.

There will also be a prize draw for air tickets, paintings, MP3 players and other items.

Service to the needy and marginalised segments of society in Bahrain is the driving force behind the activities of the charity.

Founded in 1996, its activities include visits to the sick in hospital and medical aid assistance as needed; as! sistance with education costs for families in time of dire financial need; monthly donations of foodstuff to families; and financial assistance to repatriate destitute migrant workers.

"We have a lot of a charity projects, such as hospital visits and cases of runaways and many times we have to support them financially," said volunteer Mariam George, who is also the dinner dance programme co-ordinator.

"We have meals on wheels where we support needy families for a month of so if they are in job transition, for example.

"We may also help wi! th school fees, mainly Asian schools, if for example, the head of the family is out of work for a while.

"There are also individual cases. Recently we helped a woman who needed money for breast cancer treatment and we have repatriation cases, where we provide a ticket.

"We take each situation on a case-by-case basis and we work in co-ordination with the Migrant Worker's Protection Society."

Ms George said money raised at the dinner dance would be directed to the poor and needy.

Those who would like to sponsor the charity event can contact:
Ms George on +973 3 987 0815.

The main sponsor for the event is DHL and co-sponsor is Boskalis, AXA Insurance, Coca Cola and BMMI.

Tickets are priced at BD15 per person and will be available at venues to be announced soon.

For more details on the dinner dance:
! Contact Avril Taylor on 39668828 or
Claude Fernandez on 39863792.

Meanwhile, the charity group is earnestly seeking more volunteers for its various programmes.

The charity meetings are held at 6.30pm on the first and third Tuesdays of the month in the fellowship hall at St Christopher's Cathedral, Manama.

People who would like to dedicate their time and service are requested to contact Joe Isaacs on 17811621.
becky@gdn.com.bh

Source: Gulf Daily News

Western Diet linked to colon cancer recurrence

Colon cancer who underwent curative resectioni and adjuvant chemothrapy but continue to eat a typical Western diet (sweets, French fries, refined grains, and red and processed meats) appear to have triple the risk of recurrence, compared with those who do not follow a Western diet, according to a report in the Aug. 15 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

JAMA

A Radiant Woman

Battling cancer, the literary establishment and at times the world, writer and journalist Nemat el-Behairy ruminates about life, death and triumphing over misery
By Manal el-Jesri


Agreat number of the women want to preserve their one remaining breast. The [letter] noon of the feminine is of no use in this tragic reality we, the one-breasted women, live in. So we come in single file, or in groups, to receive our share of radiotherapy, to go back out into the streets as radiating women who had previously received chemotherapy, which is worse than the illness itselfeach one of us has reached the expiry date of her ability to seduce, according to the standards of the mothers, grandmothers and folklore,” writes Nemat el-Behairy in her latest novel, From the Journal of a Radiating Woman, published last October by Maktabet el-Osra (The Family Library) in association with the Ministry of Culture.

Her book, which received a warm welcome from both literary and medical circles, documents el-Behairy’s struggle with breast cancer and is the first literary account addressing living with breast cancer written by a female Arab writer.

I confront my problems with writing. I wrote Radiating Woman to help me face the disease, but I was surprised that it was met as an unprecedented experience in Arab writing.”
Art has become like potato chips. People’s tastes are dictated by their stomachs, which have been corru! pted by American consumerism.
Oddly enough, like all of her works, finding a copy is like searching for a needle in a haystack — the Ministry of Culture, el-Behairy’s publisher, only printed a few hundred copies of the book, and these copies were only distributed to be sold at certain ministry outlets. With so few copies published and gaining so much popularity, it is no wonder that el-Behairy’s book has sold out. Her previous works, a novel entitled, Ashgar Qalila Enda El-Monhana (A Few Trees Around the Corner) as well as her short-story collections, are also difficult to find because of limited production. Many fans who were not lucky enough to own a copy have located excerpts of her work on several literary blogs that extol the book’s brilliance.

An Uphill Battle
Since her book was released last fall, her fight against breast cancer has been gathering clout in the public arena. Just two months ago, el-Behairy submitted a letter to the prominent Al-Ahram columnist Salama Ahmed Salama, telling him about her troubles getting medical compensation for her chemo. Salama then published the letter in place of his column. The letter got a lot of attention, especially when readers reali! zed that she was the same writer of the highly acclaimed novel, Ashgar, which drew upon her own experience as a woman living under the oppressive regime in Iraq before occupation. For readers to hear she was facing yet more oppression and especially in a time of illness was shocking.

Mohsen Allam
Writing short stories is el-Behairy’s true passion.

El-Behairy, who had to receive her treatment in government hospitals, compares her experience there to that of a concentration camp. “Disease is a cruel journey, but the cruelest thing about it is the bureaucracy of the hospitals, and officials’ feelings that have frozen toward people’s suffering. Em! ployees, doctors, technicians, nurses, have all acquired a rough coat covering their feelings, like a crocodile’s skin. They do not care. They tell you, ‘Go up, come down’ and drown you in horrible bureaucratic details. Do you deal with the illness, or with their stupidity? I used to say I am a writer, but then I thought, why am I different from Omm Khalil or Omm Abbas, they have the same rights as me. So I stood in lines, but then it has gone on for too long.”
Although her letter certainly did not fall of deaf ears, el-Behairy was disappointed with the overall effect it had—things, she reassures, have been better since her letter was published, but only for her. “You scream, and then they [officials] run to solve your problem, but your problem alone. I wanted everybody’s problem to be solved, not Nemat’s only. Now when I go to get my chemo, they keep me away from the crowds in an air-conditioned room, so I do not get to see all the problems going on and start complaining again. So I don’t say anything,” she says.

How is she doing now? “One year after the operation, it [the cancer] has reappeared in the bones. But I have come to terms with my fate, and have decided to fight to the last minute. My colleagues, the women writers, have stood by me: Hala el-Badry, Siham Bayyoumi, S! hawqia Hifzi, Wafaa Helmi. Resistance is the most important thing now. I am a human being and I have a project. I will keep at it until it ends, or until life ends, whichever comes first,” el-Behairy says.

Positive Thinking, The Best Therapy
“It [the book] tackles an area of a woman’s body that is perceived in the Arab region as a thing for pleasure. Thus, if a piece of flesh is carved out of a woman, the world loses balance. But I said no, I am a human being. If a piece of me is carved out, the world will still go on. I wish women w! ould learn this. A girl must not grow up thinking she is a piece of flesh. We must instill positive thinking in girls’ [minds],” she says.

El-Behairy herself is a study in positive thinking. We visited her in her cozy apartment in one of Sixth of October’s more remote districts. Overlooking her small garden, which she proudly shows to us, she says, “I love my balcony, I feel alive when I sit here and look at the garden.”

One of the upsides of being ill, she finds, is rediscovering one’s self, and discovering who your true friends are. “I discovered how much people love me, and I have drawn on this love. People I never considered [close] stood by me, yet others I had considered pillars of my life just crumbled and disappeared. I have taught myself since long ago never to stoop and pick up whoever falls away from me. But I have been blessed with better people who have shown me that life is worth fighting for.
“Now, I consider each day a compl! ete gift. I wake up, look out at the greenery, at the street, and I exclaim ‘God, I am alive’. Each day is a lifetime. I suffer, but everybody suffers, I just deal with it simply. What complicates matters is when cancer turns life into a transit station, and the patient believes she is a transit passenger, and when people start to treat you as a potential corpse.

Add to that the myths and legends which control people, who suddenly see you as a sheikh in a shrine. They call and tell me, ‘Pray for us,’ this from relatives I had not heard from in years. I think I should start a shrine project, and collect money to buy an apartment, especially that I am no regular green shrine, I am a woman,” she jokes.

El-Behairy’s predicament has helped her see the world and people more lucidly. “People are in a terrible crisis, and are completely controlled by a bunch of preconceived ideas about life and illness, which are all wrong.” In her mind patients surrender to cancer only when their negative thinking prevails, coupled with their relatives’ misconceptions. Chances of survival, in her opinion, would greatly increase if conditions for cancer treatment were more humane. “My friends and even relatives are bored. [I was] a dead person who was not willing to die or wake. That is when I decided to deal with life in my own way, resisting through my writing.”

Labors of Love
For el-Behairy, life has been a struggle, only this struggle has produced beautiful books instead of frustration. Her first novel was the result of a political struggle; this one is the result of a physical one.

“Life was never enjoyable for me. It was never easy, ever since I was a young girl. Life is cruel. I did not want to be an employee or a tame wife, I wanted to marry someone I loved, I wanted a job I loved. I was able to do neither, so I decided to face this with the only thing I do love, which is writing. I wanted to be a writer and write a different writing, which has nothing to do with anybody else. I have disregarded the writing legacy — men’s legacy — in writing completely. In Ashgar, Arab readers and critics said I was able to do what even Iraqis could not do, in resisting a hateful fascist regime which turns people into tools. I was writing about my own experiences. Fiction is minimal in this book, although it is not a biography, but a work of art. It took me 15 years to write it in its complete form. First, I wrote it as chapters, and then published these as short stories. Years later I decided to deal with it as a novel. You see, reality does not need to be doused in euphemisms and false classical language. A reader needs to see clear ideas. I am against 300 or 500 page novels. I believe a novel must be concentrated, like a flash that shocks the eye,” she says.

The Politics of Publishing
Best known for her short stories, el-Behairy sadly believes there is no longer a demand for this genre. “Publishers tell me, give us a novel and we! will pay you anything you want. But my short story talent is [in my blood]. I even write the novel with the spirit of a short story. Ashgar lacks the sequence of a novel; it is a group of units that you then connect together. I have never signed a contract that says this is the way a novel, or a short story, should be. Beethoven said, ‘Do not hold me accountable to laws. I compose first and then laws are written to fit my art,’” she says.

Yet sending a collection or a novel out to be published is never easy. “I deal with myself as a critic. I always go back to my writing and rework it. For! something to go into a newspaper is one thing, publishing work in a book is different. A book has its own aura, its own rituals,” el-Behairy explains.

Getting a publisher to publish her work is another story, but el-Behairy, confident of her talents based on the critical acclaim her works receive, believes she has been marginalized. “It is often female writers who work in the media who get the most attention,” she points out. El-Behairy is not alone in this. “There is a whole group of us female writers who have been marginalized. We work in jobs that have nothing to do with culture. We were not included in the Mak! tabet el-Osra project, were not invited to seminars, and our work was published by the most [obscure] of publishing organizations. Readers are surprised to know I have a collection called Nisf Imraa [Half a Woman] or Al-Asheqoun [The Lovers]. Nobody is able to get a copy of Radiant Woman now that it has sold out. Doctors had discovered it and bought many copies to give to their patients.

“The thing is, I do not believe in physical existence [in literary circles]. I believe I should exist through my books. I do not visit this person and that person and then go to seminars. As a result! , it took me 30 years to make a name which is this big,” she says as she makes a virtual pea-size with her index and thumb.

In protest of such politics of publishing, el-Behairy and her colleagues started a group they jokingly called the Black Duck Writers group. “We saw that all the attention was going to writers who were close to those in power, and who came from the cultural aristocracy. These are the white ducks, while we are the black ducks. We declared our mutiny, and suddenly were attacked by writers who claimed we had inferiority issues and that we just wanted media at! tention. But the declaration of the group did create real interest, and even some male writers wanted to join us. But we were infiltrated by the white ducks, who attracted one black duck at a time, giving her money, publishing her work, so she would defend them. As a result, I decided I was no longer a black duck, I am a fat white duck and I will only defend Nemat el-Behairy. I discovered that anyone who wants to say anything real will be marginalized, not just the female writers,” she says.

The Politics of Art
Considering el-Baha! iry’s endless talent and popularity, it was surprising to find out that only a few of her works have been translated. In fact, only isolated short stories have been translated, and never a complete collection. This was particularly perplexing when considering that both her novels would not only translate easily but would resonate with a large audience being that they deal with human suffering.
Yet this does not upset el-Behairy, who seems almost glad that her work has not been translated. “I am not concerned about translation. I will probably welcome it if it will bring me some money to face life. I respect the European reader, but unfortunately, I feel that the focus goes to novels that serve the Western mentality. Mo! st writers who are translated work according to a Western agenda.

This is not me. I focus on real writing, which pleases and surprises and even shocks. It is very easy to get translated, but I will not be me. I write to be myself. I do not want to write about the oppressed girl or the woman in the niqab, or about religious bias. I want to write about our reality, about the real issues of people who can barely survive. I am happy with the margin I reside in, but I am certain that real readers who have some sense of justice know who Nemat el-Behairy is.”

It seems she is more concerned with the newfound shallowness of our culture, and would rather write to salvage what little appreciation for art remains. “Culture has become nothing but a product. Anybody who thinks a little deeper is ostracized. This is why I failed at writing drama for the screen. I wrote one script that was turned into a television movie, and was welcomed by directors. I sold the script for a series, but it was never turned into a show because I cannot write about jealous wives or cheating husbands. “Art has become like potato chips. People’s tastes are dictated by their stomachs, which have been corrupted by American consumerism. Film, music, talk shows, they are all about entertainment only. Satellite channels provide nothing but empty entertainment, or religio! us programs that scare people and promote the culture of death. This is why the culture of death rules, not the culture of life. After I became ill, I did not cry, yet people kept saying you must cry. Why should I cry? I have decided to deal with my problem in my own way. We have forgotten about the art of life management. All we care about is the crust. Couples getting married concentrate on the apartment, the wedding and the furniture, but once they are alone, they discover they have no common language. This is why divorce rates are so high. Education, culture, and media are responsible for this. “‘Why should you think? We will think for you,’ regimes tell us. ‘All you have to do is eat and drink, we will give you art and culture.’ Appearances are all that matter.

This concern with money and artifice currently affects her on a very tangible level. “The man who bought my apartment from the original owner has never set foot in it. Now he wants to kick me out to get more money, although I have accepted his demand for rent increase. He probably wants to save money to give his son LE 1 million, at the same time compromising my humanity and his own.”

Ironically eno! ugh, the writer who came to Cairo from Iraq seeking refuge faces the danger of being evicted from her home by other, richer Iraqis, whom her landlord would rather rent to (Iraqis, seeking refuge in Cairo, have raised the rent value in many districts).

The idea of losing her home scares the writer. “I love the view, the walls, the place. I feel that it helps me overcome my crisis. I love my neighbors. My upstairs neighbor is a musician who loves carpentry. I joke with him that I should have lived next to a carpenter who loves music.”

Taking it all in stride, el-Behairy insists that all she is going through will help her produce good writing. “I am working on a nice idea. It is about the life of a female writer in a society that is only used to reading newspapers and magazines. One must not be overwhelmed by the state of collapse around us. We have to confront it. My project is not over yet. This world around us must be rewritten through art. Even the apartment problem would make a great book. Imagine living in a place which keeps changing landlords. Each comes with new conditions, and all is controlled by an ignorant broker who only wants to make money at the expense of everyone. It makes me laugh sometimes. Imagine going to the police and to court to discuss the apartment having just received chemo. How very humiliating. Yet I say if the world decides to destroy you, at least do not help it. I am working on the literature of small irks, which consumes my creative power. Yet I am determined to turn it into real art.”

Source: Egypt Today

Happy Birthdday: Cancer International

Today

Cancer International
Celebrates 5 years of success stories
This is mainly due to you. Cancer International members
&
To my dear friend
Ashraf Nader (Egypt).Who designed Cancer International Group

Thank you

Group Coordinator
Abdullah Al Alami
Life goes on...

Thank you for your continued interest in Cancer International, a newsletter sponsored by AlamiConsulting - Dubai. We are very interested in hearing what you think. Send us your feedback:
Cancer-International@yahoogroups.com

Subscribe at:
Cancer-International-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Visit your Cancer International group:


Alami Consulting
alami@alamiconsulting.org

Children Cancer Hospital, Egypt

عزيزى صديق المستشفى ؛

نرحب بك عضوا مميزا من اعضاء مجتمع مستشفى سرطان الاطفال 57357 الذين نرغب أن نشاركهم أحدث أخبار المستشفى خاصة بعد أن وفينا بوعدنا وقمنا بإفتتاح المستشفى . تأييدك وتشجيعك المستمر لنا بمثابة شعلة حماس تنير لنا الطريق . نحن نأمل
أن نكون دائما عند حسن ظنك ونطمع فى استمرار مساندتك لنا
For more information

Articles from other Arab Countries

I have started adding relevant articles from other Arab countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon to gulfoncology.org. I will continue this task for this year and hopefully in the future. I would appreciate any help from visitors, since this is obviously too big a task for one person. You can add relevant articles via the home page.
My sincere thanks.
Malak Bokhari

Letter from Oman

Dear All,

May I draw your kind attention to Oman's Cancer Incidence Data (From a Population Based Cancer Registry), in addition to some other tobacco related information from the Ministry of Health Website by clicking on htt p://www.moh.gov.om/nv_menu.php?fNm=reports/report.htm, or under reports and publications.

thank you for your kind attention and my best regards

Jawad A. AL-lawati
Ministry of Health,
Oman
Tel +968 24696187
Fax +968 24695480
email dir-ncd@moh.gov.om

Fighting Cancer: A Survival Guide

Dr Waleed Abdul-Wahab, MD, FRCSI, is a Bahraini doctor working at the Franziskus Krankenhaus-Charite University, Berlin, in the capacity of a consultant urologist.

In 2010, the university will celebrate 300 years in the field of health services and the urology unit celebrates 100 years next year.

The institution is a center of medical excellence and cutting edge pioneering research and boasts a total of 13 Nobel Laureate to date.

Each month he will write an exclusive column for GulfWeekly readers and try to address readers concerns over cancer issues.

This is a continuation of our health series aimed at enhancing public awareness on different cancers.
This week we will discuss skin cancer. We aim at presenting these topics in a very basic non-medical style is to benefit the largest possible number of readers.

As I previously mentioned, cancers do not develop overnight and hence even this vicious disease needs time to progress, albeit some types grow faster than others. Therefore, one of the best tools for fighting cancer is TIME ¡ the earlier you diagnose it, the earlier you start treatment, and naturally the better the outcome. Remember, the key is to always keep time on our side and not on the side of cancers.

What is the skin?
Some people are surprised to know that the skin happens to be the largest organ of the body. Surprised? In addition, we rarely appreciate the important role our skin plays in our lives. Without going into too much detail, the skin gives us a protective coat that defends our internal organs from the harsh outside world. Furthermore, it also plays a significant role in regulating our body temperature. No wonder, the old saying ¡°get under my skin¡± attempts to compare proximity to others by removing the skin factor.

What is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease that occurs when specific cells within the human body rebel against the system and start to multiply out of control until they spread and ultimately cause death.

Cancer is still the number one cause of death in the world. Scientists and doctors are fighting as hard as they can by developing new drugs and treatments. However, without public awareness, their chances for success are substantially weakened. It is here where we must strive hard to make a difference.

Is skin cancer common?
Believe it or not, skin cancer happens to be the commonest form of any cancer in humans. As a matter of fact, in the USA, about one third of all newly-diagnosed cancers happen to be skin cancers.

What are the symptoms?
Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis, i.e. the outermost layer of skin. Therefore, a tumour is usually clearly visible to the naked eye.

This makes most skin cancers detectable in the early stages and hence this disease does not require advanced X-rays or diagnostic tests to be detected.
All it requires is a little awareness: to be alert in case of any changes in the skin, and to promptly bring it to the attention of a specialist doctor when something suspicious is detected. You have no excuses!

What should we be on the look-out for?
There are a variety of different skin cancer symptoms.
These include sores or changes in the skin that do not heal, ulcers in the skin, discolouration, new moles, and changes in existing moles.

What are the causes of skin cancer?
The primary cause of skin cancer is ultraviolet radiation C most often from the sun, but also from artificial sources like sun-beds.

In fact, researchers believe that our quest for the perfect tan, an increase in outdoor activities, and perhaps the thinning of the earth's protective ozone layer are behind the alarming rise we¡¯re now seeing in skin cancers. In addition, ease of travel has allowed people to travel to sunny holiday destinations far more frequently than before.

How soon can unprotected sun exposure lead to skin cancer?
Surprisingly, sun damage may take many years to promote skin cancer.

It is therefore common for people who stopped being sun worshipers in their twenties to develop precancerous or cancerous spots decades later.

Is sun exposure the only cause for skin cancers?
The single most important factor in producing skin cancers is sun exposure. However, other less common factors predisposing to skin cancers include exposure to arsenic, hydrocarbons, heat or X-rays.

Some skin cancers can also arise in old scars. Suppression of the immune system by infection (HIV-Aids) or drugs are even less common causes. In certain kinds of skin cancer, even a genetic link has been discovered.

Who are at risk to developing skin cancer?
Almost anyone can develop skin cancer, however, the risk is greater in:
People with fair skin and light complexions.
People with light-coloured hair and eyes.
People with freckles.
People who have lots of moles, or in moles of unusual size or shape.
People who have/had a family member with skin cancer.
People who have suffered from blistering sunburn.
People living in the Equatorial zone.
People living at higher altitudes.
People living in places with intense, year-round sunshine.
People who spend lots of time in the sun for work or leisure.
People aged abov! e 60 years old.
Chronic non-healing wounds, especially burns.

If I fit the list above, will I definitely develop skin cancer?
Please do not panic if you fit the list above since this does not necessarily mean you will develop skin cancer.
It only means that you have higher chances to getting this disease than people who do not fit the description.

Therefore, this means that you have to be extra vigilant in noticing any changes to your skin and bring them to the attention of a specialist doctor as soon as possible.

Are all skin cancers similar?
No, there are three main types of skin cancer, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises.
I will bore you with their names only because they look different and act differently as well. Of course, there are also other less common types but this is beyond the scope of this article.

What are the main types of skin cancer?
From the least to the most dangerous, they are:
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC).
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC).
Malignant Melanoma
Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type accounting for approx 90 per cent of all skin cancers. It is not known to spread to other parts of the body and it tends to grow very slowly.

However, this does not mean we should sit back and relax, since if left untreated, with time it destroys the neighbouring skin and is referred to as a Rodent Ulcer.

What does a BCC look like?
It usually looks like a raised, smooth, pearly bump on the sun-exposed skin of the face, neck or shoulders.

Sometimes small blood vessels can be seen within the tumour. Crusting and bleeding in the centre of the tumour frequently develops. It is often mistaken for a sore that does not heal.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the next commonest type of skin cancer. However, unlike BCC, this type can spread to other parts of the body especially when they are located in the lower lip.

What does SCC typically look like?
It is commonly a skin-coloured or red, scaling (Squama, meaning latin for scales of a fish), thickened patch on sun-exposed skin.

However, they can also develop in scars. Ulceration and bleeding may occur. When SCC is not treated, it may develop into a large mass.
Malignant Melanoma arises from the melanocytes (cells which give skin their colour) and happens to be the most dangerous type of skin cancer and is responsible for approximately 80 per cent of skin cancer deaths.

It has a tendency to grow quicker than the other types and also spreads to other parts of the body quickly too like the liver and brain.

This form can be fatal if not treated early but luckily they comprise only a small proportion of all skin cancers. Since this type is extremely lethal we will discuss it in greater detail.

They are typically brown to black looking lesions. Signs that might indicate a malignant melanoma include a change in the size, shape, colour or elevation of a mole..

Should the presence of any moles be of any significance?
The appearance of a new mole during adulthood, or pain, itching, ulceration or bleeding of an existing mole should be checked by a doctor to rule out skin cancer.

What are signs and symptoms of melanoma?
Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, or colour of an existing mole.
It can also appear as a new, abnormal, or ¡°ugly-looking¡± mole.
Thinking of ¡°ABCD¡± can help you remember what to look for:
A Asymmetry ¨C The shape of one half does not match the other.
B Border ¨C The edges are ragged, notched, or blurred.
C Colour ¨C The colour is uneven. Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present. Areas of white, gray, red, or blue may be seen.
D Diameter ¨C There is a change in size greater than 6mm.
When melanoma develops in an existing mole, the texture of the mole can change. For example, it can become hard, lumpy, or scaly.
Although a melanoma may feel different and may itch, ooze, or bleed, it usually
does not cause pain.

How can we reduce the possibility of getting skin cancer?
Although there are no 100 per cent guarantees, the likelihood of developing skin cancer can be reduced significantly by adhering to the following steps:
Reducing exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, especially in the early years
Avoiding sunburns avoiding unprotected sun exposure during the hours surrounding noon (usually from 10am to 3pm), when the sun is highest in the sky.
Wearing protective clothing (long sleeves and hats) as well as sun-glasses when outdoors.
Limiting recreational sun exposure.
Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB radiation with SPF number of 15 or higher.
Apply copious amounts of sun-block to guarantee the required effect.
Using a waterproof or water resistant sunscreen if swimming.
Reapplying sun block every 2-3 hours and after swimming.
Performing regular self-examinations and bringing any suspicious-looking or changing lesions to the attention of a specialist doctor.

What happens at the doctors¡¯ office?
First and foremost, the specialist doctor (Dermatologist) will be able to reassure you whether what you are worried about warrants any! further investigation.
That¡¯s right! He may tell you right then and there that there is nothing more to worry about and send you straight home.

However, in some cases, the doctor may need to do a further test known as a biopsy to be able to determine the proper diagnosis.

What is a biopsy and how is it performed?
A biopsy is a procedure where the doctor surgically removes part or all of the suspicious-looking growth.

This can usually be done in the doctor¡¯s office using a local anaesthetic so it¡¯s really not as painful as it sounds. The specimen is then sent to a pathologist who examines the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

Therefore, a biopsy is the only method of making a definite diagnosis and is hence an essential step before starting treatment.

How are skin cancers treated?
Treatment will depend on a number of factors such as the type of cancer and whether or not it has spread.

If it has spread, how far it has reached is also relevant.
Age and general health of the patient as well as site of the cancer are also taken into consideration. With this information, the doctor can then devise a treatment plan most suited to the patient¡¯s condition.

Most skin cancers can be treated by surgical removal of the lesion, making sure that the edges (margins) are free of tumour cells. This method provides the best cure.

Moh¡¯s Microsurgery is a technique where the cancer is removed with the least amount of surrounding skin and the edges checked immediately to see if a tumour is found. This provides the opportunity to remove the least amount of skin and provide the best cosmetic effect, especially when excess skin is limited in areas such as the face. Cure rates are equivalent to regular surgical excision.

Other treatment modalities include radiation therapy and cryotherapy (freezing the cancer off) and both can provide adequate control of the disease; both, however, have lower overall cure rates than surgery.

In the case of disease that has spread to other parts of the body further surgery or chemotherapy may be required.

Are there any new scientific developments?
A promising new drug called ¡°Dimericine¡± is currently under research.

It comes in the form of a cream and aims to identify and repair skin cells after the damage has occurred. This is in stark contrast to sun-blocks which aim to prevent damage but cannot help once the damage takes place. Therefore, this new drug may offer a back-up in preventing damaged skin cells from developing skin cancer.

Is there any message to take home?
From a scientific view point, we always talk about cancer in terms of numbers and percentages. However, we unfortunately overlook the people who make up those numbers.

When we say a type of cancer affects 0.0001 per cent of the population we forget that that one person who develops the disease is affected 100 per cent. In a recent issue of GulfWeekly we saw how a young boy¡¯s life was completely shattered when he lost his mother to breast cancer. As a tribute to her, we will discuss this terrible disease during World Breast Cancer Month in October and what can be done to control it.

It is truly a shame to know that lives could have been saved had people been more aware of diseases and presented themselves to doctors earlier. Please remember, TIME is a double-edged sword. Let us use it to fight cancer before cancer uses it to fight us.

Can readers send in questions or comments?
Of course, I am more than happy to help you with more specific inquiries. You can email me on


Source:
Dr Waleed Abdul-Wahab, MD
Gulf News
drelansari@hotmail.com

New Article: Epidemiology of Breast Cancer in Developing Arab Countries

Trends in epidemiology and management of breast cancer in developing Arab countries: a literature and registry analysis.
By: El Saghir NS, Khalil MK, Eid T, El Kinge AR, Charafeddine M, Geara F, Seoud M, Shamseddine AI.

Public Health message: Cancer Education

تنظم الجمعية السعودية الخيرية لمكافحة السرطان ممثلة في مركز عبداللطيف للكشف المبكر وبالتعاون مع شركة سنوفي افنتس للخدمات الطبية ندوة طبية حول التوعية بأمراض السرطان يومي الأحد والاثنين المقبلين وذلك في مركز الأمير سلمان الاجتماعي بمدينة الرياض بمشاركة نخبة من أطباء الأورام والمختصين في المملكة.

ادخل الرابط الآتي لمزيد من المعلومات

http://www.spa.gov.sa/print.php?id=472614

Hackers from Nigeria

Some scum bags hacked into my gmail account last weekend and took over control ( they changed the password). They sent emails to individuals on my contact list that I was in Nigeria and was in need of urgent cash. Some people responded with sincere concern, and the hackers emailed them back with further details on how to transfer the money. I'm glad to report than no one actually believed them. One colleague, asked them where we (me and him) met last?
Please be aware of phishing and spam emails. I hope this never happens to you. Don't open Greeting cards or click on links that look suspicious. Now back to business.