RIYADH: Princess Haifa bint Faisal, chairwoman of Zahra Breast Cancer Association, said that in the future, a breast cancer campaign will focus on genetic screening as the association launched its 2018 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in Riyadh.
The campaign will run throughout October. The association is teaming up with 17 universities and educational institutes, 31 clubs and health centers, and 40 hospitals and laboratories between Riyadh and Al-Kharj, the Eastern Province, western and southern areas, and more than 21 regions in Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar and Princess Haifa launched the campaign in cooperation with several governmental and private sectors, at the Saudi Electricity Company Club.
Princess Haifa said the association will focus its efforts on examining patients through genetic screening to reduce cases of the disease being diagnosed at a late stage in an effort to cut mortality rates.
“The scope of the campaign extends to many regions of the Kingdom in conjunction with World Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“The campaign targets women in particular and society in general.”
Over the past 11 years, the association has reached more than 500,000 women in different regions of the Kingdom.
At the launch event, several speakers shared their experiences of recovering from breast cancer. 
Samir Kurdy also talked about his wife’s inspirational story fighting the disease, which unfolded on Twitter under the hashtag #SuperDema. He said that his wife’s courageous example had given him and his young daughters strength. His wife died a month ago.
Pink Fingerprints
The Saudi Cancer Society has launched its “Pink Fingerprints” awareness campaign to combat breast cancer for a 12th consecutive year.
The campaign, which will run throughout October through the Abdul Latif Jameel Center for Breast Cancer Early Detection, aims to increase early screening to help boost recovery rates.
The society’s chairman, Dr. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Kanhal, said that the campaign will use the latest tools for early detection, including mobile clinics supplied with the latest equipment.
Mobile clinics will tour different parts of the Kingdom to reach the highest number of people at home.
An interactive awareness event for the campaign will be held for two weeks from mid-October at the Kingdom’s Commercial Center. Those who take part in the campaign will stamp their fingerprints on a wall as a sign of their support for the campaign.
