Wafik S. El-Deiry: WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative – Breast cancer awareness month

The theme “No One Should Face Breast Cancer Alone” highlights the urgent need for community support and awareness in combating breast cancer, which affects approximately 2.3 million people globally each year. It accounts for one in eight cancer cases and significantly impacts younger populations, especially in resource-constrained settings where 70% of deaths occur due to barriers to healthcare access and low awareness. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI), aiming to reduce mortality rates by 2.5% annually by 2040 through early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive care.

Key Objectives for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) in October:

1. Raise Awareness: Promote advocacy and behavior change to increase screening uptake, particularly in low-resource areas.
2. Facilitate Knowledge Sharing: Create platforms for disseminating breast cancer information and fostering partnerships.
3. Support GBCI Adoption: Encourage countries to implement the GBCI framework focusing on early detection and comprehensive care.
4. Promote Patient Support: Highlight the importance of patient-centered care and address disparities in access to treatment.

Participants

The month will convene various stakeholders, including WHO representatives, health ministries, healthcare providers, NGOs, academic institutions, and individuals with lived experiences of breast cancer. This collaboration aims to review progress, renew commitments, and ensure that no one faces breast cancer alone.

Wafik S. El-Deiry shared a post on LinkedIn:

“WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative: Breast cancer awareness month.

Theme: No-one should face breast cancer alone.”

Read here.

Wafik S. El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP, FRSM, is the Associate Dean for Oncologic Sciences at the Warren Alpert Medical School and Director of the Legorreta Cancer Center   Brown University and Director of the Joint Program in Cancer Biology at Brown University and affiliated hospitals. He is the Editor in Chief at Oncotarget. Dr. El-Deiry discovered p21(WAF1) as a p53 target gene, cell cycle inhibitor, and tumor suppressor that explained the mammalian cell stress response. Dr. El-Deiry’s research is focused on mechanisms of therapy resistance with major efforts in drug discovery and development.