Sharjah: The Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP) announced that the charity it received has provided care and treatment for 82 male and female cancer patients during the first half of this year. This is in addition to 1,300 other patients who have received treatment and support from FoCP and who have been provided with necessary health care over the years as part of FoCP’s remit to provide the best possible care for cancer patients to give them the best chance of recovery.
The announcement was made by Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General of FoCP. Sawsan said arrangements were made with partner hospitals to receive the patients and provide medical treatment, with all costs being covered by the charity. She said, “Patients who have benefited from the charity’s services during the period from the beginning of January and the end of June includes men and women of different nationalities and age groups residing in the UAE, who were transferred to a number of hospitals in various parts of the country to undergo tests and receive the necessary treatment, depending on the case and stage of the disease reached in the patient.”
Sawsan stressed many cancers were highly curable if caught early and said the charity’s awareness campaigns had contributed towards the number of people who were coming forward for treatment. Since its inception, the charity has focused on raising awareness about the risks of cancer and the need for early detection through many programmes, events, and activities across the UAE. The charity primarily seeks to raise awareness about early detection, and to challenge any stigmas relating to cancer diagnosis or treatment and thus contribute to increasing the cure rates for people with cancer in the UAE.
Among those who received treatment this year were 50 female patients from various emirates, 61 per cent of all cases, followed by men at a rate of 36 per cent, while the total number of child patients who benefited from the charity’s services amounted to just two cases, a rate of three per cent.
Dr Sawsan pointed out that the charity relies heavily on volunteer doctors to diagnose cases, and on hospitals and medical centres that collaborate with it. “I’d like to thank all partners who contributed to the success of FoCP’s work, including sponsors, institutions, companies, civil society organisations, donors, and volunteers. Every dirham donated has deeply impacted and changed the lives of many patients for the better. Because of these donations, whether large or small, we are able to provide constant care, treatment, and more importantly, hope, to cancer patients who have no other means of support. Thus, we value the contributions of our partners from all sectors and groups and their role in providing treatment for our patients,” Sawsan said.
Based on the cases reported at the charity during the first half of this year, breast cancer was the highest form of cancer among women, followed by rectal cancer, leukaemia and metastatic cancer, chronic blood cancer, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, gall bladder cancer, and lymphoma (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma).
