National Cancer Strategy-Final

National program for breast
cancer prevention and
management
Introduction:
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women and
the main cause of death among females, making this disease
one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Health programs for
prevention and early detection.
The national committee for cancer prevention and management
included the early detection and prevention of breast cancer
among the top of its concerns. Taking in to consideration that
early detection and treatment of breast cancer could lead to a
complete cure, developing a national policy for regular screening
for breast cancer and securing the needed tools and trained staff
are important prerequisites for the success of the program.
As such, the Ministry of Health has decided to provide
mammography screenings free of charge along with a
national public awareness campaign on the importance of the
mammography and early detection. In addition, it is essential
that these services are available in all governorates in order to
ensure access.
Public awareness campaigns would include information on the
risk factors of breast cancer such as smoking, and the lack of
breast feeding. Public awareness campaigns would also stress
the risk of late detection, and highlight that early detection and
diagnosis has a cure rate of 95%.
Physicians and nurses in primary care clinics will be trained on
the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection.
Female nurses will be taught methods on educating their
patients on regular screening.
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