Pink Caravan Ride Mobilises the Community in the Fight Against Cancer The 10th edition of annual 10-day Pink Caravan Ride to raise breast cancer awareness which will start from Sharjah on February 26 and run till March 6, has evolved into a tradition over the past decade. By offering early detection screening tests for breast cancer and spreading awareness about the importance of self-examination amongst the UAE community, it has wrought many positive changes in the way cancer is perceived and treated. Here, we list ten of them: Breast cancer no longer a taboo Breast cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in women, has always been considered a taboo. People refused to acknowledge it or discuss it. This, however, is not the case today in the UAE. Over the past 10 years, the Pink Caravan Ride has managed to change the community’s perception - especially women - on breast cancer. It has become normal to talk about it, which is a very important part of encouraging people to get screened and tested. Making men aware too It’s a myth that only women are susceptible to breast cancer and that men are immune to it. Thanks to awareness raised by Pink Caravan, many men have started approaching the convoy as it travels across the emirates to get themselves screened. So far, 10,000 men have been screened, which can be critical and lifesaving in many cases as there is a 98 percent cure rate of Stage-1 breast cancer. Thanks to the Pink Caravan Ride’s campaigns, has begun to attract more and more men who not only come for screening but also learn about self-examination. Dispelling myths Traditionally, breast cancer and its occurrence has been shrouded in myths that have misled people leading to The Source
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tragic results. The Pink Caravan Ride’s awareness campaigns have contributed vastly to dispelling myths and false rumours about what causes breast cancer, how the disease develops, about breast cancer screening and detection, and how different treatment options affect patients and aftercare. Frequency of examinations The campaigns have not only changed people’s perceptions about breast cancer, it has also managed to create a mindset where people have realised the importance of getting themselves examined every year. PC holds numerous breast cancer awareness campaigns held throughout the year especially in October. Keeping abreast of latest treatments and tests The Pink Caravan Ride took three years to build the mobile screening unit at a cost of AED 15 million. Its mobile mammography unit is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostics equipment and latest technologies to offer breast and cervical cancer tests. The world-class screening equipment and latest technologies in the clinic allows one person to be examined within 15-20 minutes. The unit’s services include PAP Smear testing owing to the fact that cervical cancer is the second leading form of cancer in women in UAE. Moreover, the equipment is constantly updated to include the latest devices and methods. It introduced genetic testing in 2019 to make breast cancer treatment more effective. Available throughout the year The services of the Pink Caravan ini-
