The event brought together general public, cancer patients and experts to create awareness on Colorectal cancer on the occasion of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March.

• Dr. Reyad Mohsen, Chief of Medical Oncology Division Tawam Hospital conducted an awareness session on Colorectal Cancer for the participants and guided them along a walk-through inflatable colon explaining the different stages of colorectal cancer

• Colorectal cancer is the third leading type of fatal cancer in UAE and the event is a proactive measure from both the organizations to improve the survival rates of patients in this region

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, March 25, 2014: With an aim to raise awareness on Colorectal cancer and encourage early detection through identification of the symptoms, Zakat Fund in partnership with Roche, organized Colorectal Cancer Awareness Day at Officers Club in Abu Dhabi.

“This initiative is aligned with the social undertaking that our leadership has called for, which aims at raising awareness on colorectal cancer and the importance of early detection. We greatly value our partnership with Roche in facilitating our cause to help patients. Their patient access program has been very effective in reducing costs of medicines for patients with less income or no health insurance,” said Mohamed Sulaiman Al Balushi, Manager of Zakat Affairs Department.

“If detected in its early stages and treated accurately, colorectal cancer can be easily managed and cured. We encourage people to identify the early symptoms like a prolonged period of rectal bleeding, pain in the abdomen, irregular bowel movement or unexplained weight loss. We are hoping that the people who learnt about the disease today will in turn spread the information amongst others,” said Dr. Reyad Mohsen, Chief of Medical Oncology Division Tawam Hospital.

The event provided the perfect opportunity for the attendees to learn directly from the industry experts. Through engaged discussions, thought provoking questions and answers, the attendees connected with each other on the common cause of fighting colorectal cancer. The walk-through colon received a lot of interest with people taking turns to undertake the guided tour and learn about the different stages of the cancer.

Zakat Fund has been helping needy patients receive accurate treatment since 2009. In 2013, they had helped 2000 patients out of which 367 were cancer patients. Helping patients is one of the key focus areas for the organization, in addition to other areas like education of the youth, orphans, financially challenged families and humanitarian causes.

Colorectal Cancer is the third most commonly reported cancer in the world accounting for more than 600,000 deaths worldwide every year.1 Cancer caused 13.9% of all deaths in Abu Dhabi in 2012, out of which 9.9% was due to colorectal cancer.2

Colorectal cancer develops from small growths called polyps that can form in the lining of the colon or rectum. Although the majority of polyps never become cancerous, cancerous polyps are responsible for most cases of colorectal cancer. If detected at an early stage, a cancerous polyp can usually be removed. The treatment option for colorectal cancer varies according to the stage of cancer- its size, position in the colon or rectum, whether it has spread to other parts of the body, and the physical condition of the patient. The most commonly adopted treatment methods are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and biological medicines.

About Zakat Fund (from the website of Zakat Fund. They have Arabic version as well)

An authority specialized in Zakat aiming to increase awareness of Zakat and establish the concept of its effectiveness and importance of its role in the development field on the individual and society levels. It works to revive this duty in application and practice for the benefit of the various needy segments in accordance with Shari’a principles, known as the "Zakat" channels.

The Zakat Fund also adopts as one of its top priorities achieving a socially interdependent and interrelated humanitarian society, and it is active in the development of charitable work and service of the people in need in accordance with the principles of Shari’a.

Today, the Fund takes the first step steadily, confidently, and with resolve setting many of the ambitions, plans and programs intended for the welfare of the poor and needy people.

We ask Allah that the Fund should be the destination of Zakat in the UAE, shouldering its responsibilities honestly, and to be trusted by charitable people in the UAE and all over the world, as the destination of their Zakat, charity and donations, and the refuge of the Zakat beneficiaries.
More information:

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and neuroscience. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. Roche’s personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostics that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. Founded in 1896, Roche has been making important contributions to global health for more

than a century. Twenty-four medicines developed by Roche are included in the WHO Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and chemotherapy.

In 2013 the Roche Group employed over 85,000 people worldwide, invested 8.7 billion Swiss francs in R&D and posted sales of 46.8 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan.

References:

1. Garcia M et al. Global Cancer Facts & Figures. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 2007.

2. Health Statistics by Health Authority of Abu Dhabi(HAAD). http://www.haad.ae/HAAD/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=JY0sMXQXrOU%3d&tabid=1243