(MENAFNEditorial) Pink Caravan, the pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients charitable society (FoCP) has announced the theme for their upcoming awareness campaign to once again be 'Dispelling Myths' as it is the first step to early cancer detection
With 22,877 patients having been screened ever since the initiative was launched in 2011, Pink Caravan continues its mission to contain breast cancer that statistics suggest has been the second largest factor behind mortality in women in UAE
The 2014 Pink Caravan ride would also use heightened awareness to nip myths in the bud surrounding breast cancer – a strategy that has paid many dividends during the previous edition of the initiative
Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, Secretary General for Friends of Cancer Patients charitable society (FoCP) and Head of the Pink Caravan's Medical and Awareness committee, said, "We seek to debunk myths in the minds of both women and men across the Emirates through a multi-pronged approach. Our riders, joined by both local and resident doctors, will be taking the message across to people, even in far-flung areas of the UAE. Moreover, local health authorities as well as international cancer organisations in the field of cancer advocacy and mitigation will join celebrities this year in lending their expertise and support to the 11-day ride being conducted across all 7 emirates.
"There are many commonly and wrongly accepted myths, which sabotage patients' access to cancer preventive healthcare. They need to be dispelled as the first step, if any headway is to be achieved in mitigating the threat that breast cancer poses to society. 'Dispelling Myths' is also the theme for this years' World Cancer Day which will be celebrated on 4th February, founded by Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)
"For example, one of the commonly held misconceptions is we don't need to talk about cancer; second is; cancer has no signs or symptoms and nothing can be done about it if one has cancer, along with a common one about men's so-called immunity to breast cancer. However, in reality and to the contrary, we need to talk about cancer because it increases awareness. There are definite signs and symptoms of breast cancer which can help detect it in early stages and although the numbers are far lower than compared to women, men also get breast cancer," Dr Al Madhi added
The 2014 horseback ride, scheduled to take place from February 15-25, will see Pink Caravan join forces with the private sector, medical and educational institutes and health authorities in achieving its objectives. Besides addressing the social stigmas, inhibitions and myths attached to one of the world's most common cancers, Pink Riders, with mobile detection clinics in tow, will be drawing attention to and highlighting the importance of self-examination and early detection as the best defence against cancer, , which experts assert, if detected early, have an almost 98 percent chance of being contained
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