In Lebanon, 1700 women patients are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, half of whom are below the age 50.
Acknowledging this fact as well as the leading role of AUBMC’s Naef K. Basile Cancer Institute (NKBCI) in advancing cancer therapy, ground-breaking research and continuing medical education for physicians and health care providers, the board of the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation (LBCF) decided to donate 28,100 USD directly to the NKBCI to cover treatment expenses of breast cancer patients. The LBCF has also been helping patients with installments and copayments for health services received at AUBMC.
The Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation has been participating in campaigns for raising awareness on breast cancer as well as raising funds through various activities including Avant-premiere movies, Mother’s Day Brunch, conferences, media interventions and lighting of the Raouche rocks in pink in October 2012 in collaboration with AUB and Municipality of Beirut.
“Our awareness campaigns have been making a great difference in terms of transforming a large percentage of cases from advanced stages to early stages thus increasing the chances for cure,” states the Director of the Breast Center of Excellence at the NKBCI and President of the LBCF, Professor Nagi El Saghir.
LBCF and NKBCI’s Breast Center of Excellence also organize weekly “Patient Support Groups” at the NKBCI. “Those support sessions and rounds were very well received by patients on chemotherapy at the NKBCI,” says Dr. El Saghir.
The LBCF and AUBMC’s Breast Center of Excellence Foundation are looking to develop their partnership to establish programs and services “providing financial support for the breast cancer patients who are in need, psychosocial support for all patients and launching campaigns for public awareness for breast cancer,” asserts the NKBCI director and Chief of Staff, Dr. Hassan El Solh.
Dr. El Solh elaborated on the NKBCI’s plans explaining that the institute will be expanding “the diagnostic and therapeutic facilities and developing research programs for prevention and control of cancer in general including breast cancer to establish Centers of Excellence, in line with the AUBMC 2020 Vision.”
AUBMC Director and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adnan Tahir thanked the LBCF for the donation acknowledging the work of all parties to “deliver better care to patients with breast cancer.”
