30% OF BREAST CANCER CASES ARE PREVENTABLE
But it is still one of the leading causes of cancer death, claiming 670,000 lives in 2022.
Help us to treat as many as we can this October. In 2023, our Lebanese breast screening programme saw 263 women, and 129 required further tests. That’s almost 50%, but fortunately our support didn’t stop there, and we provided the tests and early treatment they needed.
This month, you can fund a mammogram or echograph (ultrasound) for women aged 35-50 at Hasbaya Governmental Hospital in Lebanon. Breast cancer commonly lies undetected, so these screenings are vital. For just £30, you can give someone the chance to beat cancer.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
In the UK, mammograms are offered to everyone without charge but in vulnerable parts of the world, medical screening is too expensive for most people.
For Breast Cancer Awareness month, we invite you to support our breast cancer clinics at a government hospital in south-eastern Lebanon. Can you gift one mammograph or ultrasound today?
- £30 = one mammogram
- £50 = one breast ultrasound
- £80 = both tests, providing all the information needed for early treatment.
BREAST CANCER CLAIMS LIVES
- 2.3 million are diagnosed with breast cancer annually (Source: WHO)
- In countries with a low HDI (human development index), 1 in 48 women will die from breast cancer (Source: WHO).
- 30% of breast cancer cases are preventable (Source: Breast Cancer UK).
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Lebanon, causing 38.2% of all cases (Source: PubMed)
- 40% of cases in Lebanon occur in women under 50. (Source: PubMed)
IMPACT REPORT – OCTOBER 2023
The last time we ran this breast screening clinic was in Lebanon in 2023. Our team of professionals carried out 263 screenings for women aged 35-50.
We reached people in the vulnerable areas of Shebaa Hebarye Kfarhamam, Halta Kfrashoba Kfardis and Showaya Ainkinya Rashya Alfakhar.
129 required further testing and were able to start early treatment to prevent the spread of cancer, potentially saving their lives.
This October, we’re aiming to provide free screenings for another 260 women. Help us to give treatment to all who come, with the possibility of extending this project in the future.
BREAST CANCER RESOURCES IN THE UK
In the UK, women aged 50-71 are invited for a free mammogram every three years. If you haven’t received a letter, or you have an increased risk due to family history or previous cancer, contact your GP.
It is important to check your breasts monthly for changes like thickening or lumps: read this helpful guide on Breast Cancer UK.
Further information:
- NHS guide to mammograms.
- Breast Cancer Now has a free helpline: 0808 800 6000.
- Macmillan Cancer Care offers support and advice.
