CAIRO: CanSurvive, Egypt’s leading group for cancer patients, hosted an event on Sept. 21 at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza to celebrate World Lymphoma Awareness Day. The event’s purpose was to spread awareness about lymphoma, as well as to promote getting tested for the disease; an early diagnosis and treatment can substantially decrease one’s symptoms.
Dr Mohsen Mokhtar, chairman of CanSurvive and assistant professor of clinical oncology at Cairo University, kicked off the event by briefly introducing the various facts and characteristics of the disease to the audience.
“The number of patients in Egypt and the world have increased greatly over the past decade," said Mokhtar. "There are 10 million cases [of lymphoma] worldwide, and by 2020 the number of cases [are expected to] increase by 20 percent in developed countries and by 50 percent in developing countries.”
“Worldwide nearly 1,000 people are diagnosed everyday," Mokhtar continued. "This disease can affect anyone of any age at any time … lymphoma represents almost 12 percent of diagnosed cancer cases in Egypt."
Dr Hussein Khaled, former dean of the National Cancer Institute and current vice president of research and graduate studies at Cairo University, pointed out the importance of seeking out medical advice early.
“Unlike some other cancers, lymphoma does not come with any concrete symptoms or signs," he said. "Moreover, the few symptoms that are indicative of lymphoma are quite often also symptoms of other conditions."
There are three stages of lymphoma, and the health repercussions can be staggering if an untreated patient ever reaches the final stage of the disease. Offering medical treatment to patients of such a serious disease has always been one of the primary concerns of both doctors and civil society.
Dr Hamdy Abdel Azim, professor of clinical oncology at Cairo University, said that “there is a high chance for recovery from this disease, but in some cases it may not fully cure the patient — especially for [third stage patients]."
Abdel Azim also emphasized that chemotherapy is the primary method of treatment for lymphoma. Another type of treatment known as ‘immunotherapy’ is often used as well, which is believed to increase the overall effectiveness of lymphoma treatment.
The doctors referred to the cost of such treatment (chemotherapy in Egypt costs approximately LE 100,000) as shameful. They also addressed many other barriers to properly diagnosing and treating lymphoma, which include an overall lack of available resources, a scarcity of active NGOs or other institutions providing patient care, the lack of proper communication among patients, and misinformation on the internet.
CanSurvive discussed the benefits of NGOs in helping patients understand the exact nature of their disease, building upon other patients’ experiences to find a better cure.
The event was concluded by a speech given by Hassan Al-Dajani, whose mother is a lymphoma survivor. He discussed the difficulties he faced while supporting his mother’s battle with the disease, while providing insight from which other lymphoma patients may benefit.
“Patient groups are a fundamental source of inspiration in terms of emotional and psychological support and medical education," said Al-Dajani. "It really does make a difference. Patient groups such as CanSurvive are as much a savior in these situations as the doctors and the cancer treatment itself.”
