Abu-Ghazaleh Inaugurates a Seminar for the Jordanian Oncology Society, Emphasizes the Importance of Spreading Awareness about Prevention of Cancer

On the Occasion of the World Cancer Day

Abu-Ghazaleh Inaugurates a Seminar for the Jordanian Oncology Society, Emphasizes the Importance of Spreading Awareness about Prevention of Cancer

AMMAN - February 18, 2016 - Under the patronage of HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), and the attendance of medical society members Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum (TAGKF) hosted a seminar for the Jordanian Oncology Society (JOS) on the " Prevention of Cancer" presented and moderated by Dr. Sana Al-Sukhun, Hematologist –Oncologist, and JOS President.

Dr. Ehab Shehadeh, Consultant Gastroenterologist, and Head of Gastroenterology and Nutrition Department, tackled the importance of nutrition in reducing Cancer. Dr. Firas Hawari, Consultant in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Head of Pulmonary Department at King Hussein Cancer Center discussed the negative impact of smoking and the importance of reducing smoking on both personal and national levels.

Meanwhile, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh expressed gratitude to the Jordanian Oncology Society for their invitation to patronize the event, and stressed that he is always keen to support activities and programs that fight cancer, especially if organized by the King Hussein Cancer Center.

He noted that practitioners play an important role in spreading awareness about prevention of cancer, and that the important information presented during the session has to reach every individual because knowledge protects lives. Therefore, TAG-Org will disseminate this information by publishing a "special publication" and distribute it widely.

Dr. Al-Sukhun thanked Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh for his patronage and role in embodying TAGKF and JOSs common vision of spreading awareness and knowledge in the society.

She reviewed figures and statistics related to different types of cancer and their spread rates, and noted that breast cancer and colon cancer are most common in the Kingdom; as one fifth of diagnosed cases are breast cancer, where one tenth are colon cancers. She noted that cancer incidence rate in Jordan is much less than in the Western countries, however it would increase if ways of prevention were not considered.

Dr. Sukhun added that while awareness about early detection is increasing, awareness about prevention is still dramatically low. She explained that many risky individuals behaviors can cause the risk of cancer, noting that precaution is better than cure. She made it clear that JOS is keen to hold a seminar yearly, on the World Cancer Day, to promote the role of both individuals and society in preventing the disease. She also said that a summary of that information will be available on JOS website.

She pointed out that most prominent factors that increase the risk of cancer are smoking, unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activities, and unprotected exposure to strong sunlight, while simple healthy habits such as adopting a healthy diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and low in red meats, daily exercising such as jogging, and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce that risk.

Dr. Firas Hawari, Head of Pulmonary Department at King Hussein Cancer Center spoke about smoking and the role of healthy diet in reducing the disease.

He stated that in 2007, the prevalence of smoking rate in Jordan was 28%, and now it has reached 40%. He added that in the Middle East, the percentage of youth smokers is increasing, while there is a dramatic shortage of addiction treatment services. He also noted that 80% of health care providers are smokers.

He pointed out that a big portion of the gross domestic product goes to expenditure in the health sector while 75% of the population is youth. Therefore official measurements, such as increasing cigarette prices, must be taken. The excess in price can be used in supporting the health sector budget.

Dr. Ehab Shehadeh, Head of Gastroenterology and Nutrition Department at Hussein Cancer Center spoke about the role of nutrition in minimizing the disease, noting that 10% of cancers can be prevented by adopting a diet high in fibers and grains. He also stated that many canned and processed food contain substances that become toxic when enter a body causing cancer.

Dr. Shehadeh also stated that scientific researches and studies have not proven the benefits or disadvantages of many supplements. He stressed that the quality of a daily diet affects immunity against risky diseases, and that an anti-oxidant diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables and low in red meats is the most important way to reduce the amount of toxins in a body, and thus helps resist cancer.

It is worth mentioning that the seminar was held on the occasion of the World Cancer Day that is celebrated on February 4th annually by

the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), out of JOS solidarity with the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in finding ways to reduce global and local burdens of cancer. The theme of the World Cancer Day 2016-2017 is "We Can, I Can". It calls for spreading information among individuals and societies.