By Mohamed Ezz Eldin
Head Gulf Cluster, Novartis Innovative Medicines
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, preventative care treatments decreased significantly across the globe. Lockdowns and travel restrictions prevented millions of screenings and early detection assessments from taking place around the Gulf region and the world, resulting in decreases and delays in identifying new conditions and the delivery of treatment.
Cancer screenings declined tremendously. Between January 2020 to October 2020, there was an overall decrease in screenings worldwide, with breast cancer specifically decreasing by 35.6%. This is especially concerning as breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in the world today, impacting women in every country and across almost every age group. It also accounts for the majority of cancer cases throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In the UAE for example, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the country, representing over 21% of all new cancer diagnoses in the Emirate.
In recent months however, as the global community has eased into post-pandemic ‘normalcy,’ the healthcare sector saw a steadying increase in breast cancer screenings and early detection assessments. However, there is still much more work to do to raise awareness around the importance of these evaluations and get people back to screening. A concentrated focus on early detection, coupled with comprehensive care strategies in hospitals, can vastly improve the chances of survival for women that are being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Early diagnosis remains key to successful treatment
While there are certain factors that increase the risk of breast cancer such as having a family history of cancer, increasing age, and obesity, over half of the women diagnosed with the disease reported no identifiable breast cancer risk factor other than them being a female over the age of 40. This has made predicting which women are most at risk of developing breast cancer a continuous challenge for healthcare providers.
Regular screenings, starting at an early age, have continuously proven to be critical in the fight against breast cancer. Breast cancer treatment can be highly effective, achieving survival probabilities of 90% or higher, particularly when the disease is identified early. These screenings, coupled with enhanced diagnostic technology and tailored treatment, vastly improve survival rates, enable women to better understand their cancer diagnoses, and access necessary care faster. In addition, when cancer is caught at an early stage, patients have more treatment options and less complex care.
Raising awareness and empowering women with the right information
Recent years have seen an influx of new technology that is being leveraged across the healthcare industry to support cancer patients with their diagnosis through to their treatment. Novartis is at the forefront of this revolution, combining science with a passion for transforming patient care. Novartis’ mission over the past 30 years has been to take an innovative new approach in developing a robust portfolio of treatments which have been proven to improve and extend the lives of those diagnosed with breast cancer.
However, awareness plays a large role in empowering women to take charge of their health. Towards this end, and in line with Novartis’s commitment to provide a better quality of life for women across the Gulf, the company recently rolled out the Women in Pink campaign which aims to support and provide women with the right information about their diagnosis. This campaign is in partnership with the Emirates Oncology Society and the non-profit organisation Friends of Cancer Patients. Together they are working tirelessly to encourage women to get early cancer screenings, regular check-ups, and mammograms.
Novartis says that breast cancer isn’t just about women’s health, all of us have a role to play in changing the narrative and supporting patients. To do this, it is vital to increase the collaboration between patient societies and patients to drive discussions on early intervention, prevention, and care management.
