Washington -- When Saudi Arabian doctor Samia al-Amoudi discovered a lump in her breast, she was certain it was a tumor.
Al-Amoudi, an obstetrician-gynecologist and former vice dean of the College of Medicine and Allied Science at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, diagnosed her own breast cancer in March 2006.
It was a "day when my life and my priorities took a whole new direction," al-Amoudi wrote in her newspaper column shortly after being diagnosed.
As a believer in God, she told
USINFO March 7, al-Amoudi felt that her diagnosis was God's way of telling her that as a doctor, it was her responsibility to educate people and increase awareness about breast cancer. That is why she chose to use her weekly newspaper column as a forum to discuss her experience with the disease.
In Saudi Arabia, talking about cancer, especially cancer in a part of the body like the breast, is rare, al-Amoudi said. When people in the country hear that someone has cancer, "they almost think that … you are going to die next week," al-Amoudi said, "because they do not see more life examples of people who have survived."
"In our country we don't have a problem with our resources," al-Amoudi said. "We have the best equipment, the best hospitals, the best technology." The problem is that these tools are underutilized, she explained. "This is why we have to keep talking to the people and break the silence."
Although cancer rates in Saudi Arabia are not as high as in the United States or Europe, al-Amoudi said, the statistics probably underrepresent the number of Saudis with cancer. Those who never get checked for cancer are dying at home without anyone knowing that they had the disease, she said.
Approximately 70 percent of breast-cancer cases in Saudi Arabia are diagnosed when victims are in the advanced stage of the disease, which means the survival rate is lower than in nations where more cases are diagnosed early. Even more troubling, al-Amoudi said, is that 30 percent of cases in Saudi Arabia are in women under 40 years old.
Al-Amoudi's columns have discussed all aspects of her disease, including how she discovered her tumor, how she broke the news to her children, what it felt like to lose her hair during chemotherapy and what were her most frightening moments. She also discussed issues unique to cancer patients in Saudi Arabia. For example, one of her columns explained the importance of discussing breast cancer with men. In Saudi Arabia, women's health care is often dependent on men because many women cannot drive themselves to doctors' appointments, or cannot be examined by a male doctor unless their husbands approve.
Her columns encourage “people to talk, to give them the confidence, to tell them that there are medications, encourage them to do early exams and early mammograms," al-Amoudi said.
Al-Amoudi has been surprised by the feedback she has received from readers. Because she is both a doctor and a patient, other patients feel closer to her than their personal doctor and seek her advice. One girl told her, "You have taught things that maybe our mothers and our scholars and our teachers did not, like how to be strong and how to have a positive attitude." A man told al-Amoudi that before reading her articles, he never thought to discuss breast cancer with his family, but after reading them he told his mother the importance of getting a mammogram.
Al-Amoudi was in Washington the week of March 5 to receive the International Women of Courage Award from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It is the first time the award has been given.
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2007, Rice paid tribute to 10 women for their commitment to advocating for women’s rights. The award is bestowed to recognize women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership. (See
related article.)
While in Washington, al-Amoudi plans to meet with doctors from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and with Nancy G. Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen For The Cure organization, which is one of the most prominent U.S. foundations working to find a cure for breast cancer. Al-Amoudi hopes to learn about these groups' prevention and awareness programs, what obstacles they have faced, what research they do and how they use the media to spread their messages. Al-Amoudi is also a participant in the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research. (See
related article.)
Having had chemotherapy and a lumpectomy, al-Amoudi is still undergoing treatment. She said that receiving the award is another way for women to hear her message and spread the importance of checking their breasts and having a mammogram.
"I am only one woman," al-Amoudi wrote. "But together we are a force to be reckoned with. Together we should relay what we know to our society."
For more information on U.S. policies, see
Women in the Global Community.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
My comment:
That women what we looking for, specially when they are did some thing very important even that localy or around the world
my sister Samia thank you and keep going to the top
إن شاء الله
resource:
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/di...ua9.066409e-02 
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March 8th, 2007, 10:40 PM
Washington -- When Saudi Arabian doctor Samia al-Amoudi discovered a lump in her breast, she was certain it was a tumor.
Al-Amoudi, an obstetrician-gynecologist and former vice dean of the College of Medicine and Allied Science at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, diagnosed her own breast cancer in March 2006.
It was a "day when my life and my priorities took a whole new direction," al-Amoudi wrote in her newspaper column shortly after being diagnosed.
As a believer in God, she told USINFO March 7, al-Amoudi felt that her diagnosis was God's way of telling her that as a doctor, it was her responsibility to educate people and increase awareness about breast cancer. That is why she chose to use her weekly newspaper column as a forum to discuss her experience with the disease.
In Saudi Arabia, talking about cancer, especially cancer in a part of the body like the breast, is rare, al-Amoudi said. When people in the country hear that someone has cancer, "they almost think that … you are going to die next week," al-Amoudi said, "because they do not see more life examples of people who have survived."
"In our country we don't have a problem with our resources," al-Amoudi said. "We have the best equipment, the best hospitals, the best technology." The problem is that these tools are underutilized, she explained. "This is why we have to keep talking to the people and break the silence."
Although cancer rates in Saudi Arabia are not as high as in the United States or Europe, al-Amoudi said, the statistics probably underrepresent the number of Saudis with cancer. Those who never get checked for cancer are dying at home without anyone knowing that they had the disease, she said.
Approximately 70 percent of breast-cancer cases in Saudi Arabia are diagnosed when victims are in the advanced stage of the disease, which means the survival rate is lower than in nations where more cases are diagnosed early. Even more troubling, al-Amoudi said, is that 30 percent of cases in Saudi Arabia are in women under 40 years old.
Al-Amoudi's columns have discussed all aspects of her disease, including how she discovered her tumor, how she broke the news to her children, what it felt like to lose her hair during chemotherapy and what were her most frightening moments. She also discussed issues unique to cancer patients in Saudi Arabia. For example, one of her columns explained the importance of discussing breast cancer with men. In Saudi Arabia, women's health care is often dependent on men because many women cannot drive themselves to doctors' appointments, or cannot be examined by a male doctor unless their husbands approve.
Her columns encourage “people to talk, to give them the confidence, to tell them that there are medications, encourage them to do early exams and early mammograms," al-Amoudi said.
Al-Amoudi has been surprised by the feedback she has received from readers. Because she is both a doctor and a patient, other patients feel closer to her than their personal doctor and seek her advice. One girl told her, "You have taught things that maybe our mothers and our scholars and our teachers did not, like how to be strong and how to have a positive attitude." A man told al-Amoudi that before reading her articles, he never thought to discuss breast cancer with his family, but after reading them he told his mother the importance of getting a mammogram.
Al-Amoudi was in Washington the week of March 5 to receive the International Women of Courage Award from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It is the first time the award has been given.
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2007, Rice paid tribute to 10 women for their commitment to advocating for women’s rights. The award is bestowed to recognize women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership. (See related article.)
While in Washington, al-Amoudi plans to meet with doctors from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and with Nancy G. Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen For The Cure organization, which is one of the most prominent U.S. foundations working to find a cure for breast cancer. Al-Amoudi hopes to learn about these groups' prevention and awareness programs, what obstacles they have faced, what research they do and how they use the media to spread their messages. Al-Amoudi is also a participant in the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research. (See related article.)
Having had chemotherapy and a lumpectomy, al-Amoudi is still undergoing treatment. She said that receiving the award is another way for women to hear her message and spread the importance of checking their breasts and having a mammogram.
"I am only one woman," al-Amoudi wrote. "But together we are a force to be reckoned with. Together we should relay what we know to our society."
For more information on U.S. policies, see Women in the Global Community.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
My comment:
That women what we looking for, specially when they are did some thing very important even that localy or around the world
my sister Samia thank you and keep going to the top
إن شاء الله
resource:http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/di...ua9.066409e-02