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Participants at the event.

VPS Healthcare wins Guinness record title

ABU DHABI, October 16, 2014

VPS Healthcare, an integrated healthcare solution provider with a network of hospitals and chain of clinics, has won a Guinness World Records title for the largest simultaneous self-examination for breast cancer.

As many as 971 women took part at the Convention Center at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi.

It was part of the healthcare provider’s CSR initiative to raise awareness and provide education about breast cancer, said a statement.

The previous record was held by the Amazons Association in Warsaw, Poland, which was achieved on September 8, 2012 and consisting of 380 participating women.

Breast cancer is one of the leading cancers in the UAE, and many cases are discovered in the advanced stages, compared to Western countries where the disease is typically discovered in earlier, more treatable stages, said the statement.

Vinay Batra, CEO Diagnostic Services, said: “Women are an integral part of our community and play an important role in the maintenance of both family and society.

“The impact of the disease, unfortunately, is far greater than the statistics available on diagnosis. Many women are reluctant to have a breast exam because they fear a cancer diagnosis may lead to a mastectomy. Through these kinds of awareness campaigns, we are trying to create a paradigm shift in women’s perspectives on prevention, since early detection of the disease is the key to survival.”

Dr Eshrak Al Attar, LLH Hospital Abu Dhabi, pointed out that the most common symptom of breast cancer is the presence of lumps in the breast.

“There are four stages of breast cancer and detection in the early stages vastly increases the chances of survival compared to detection in stage four,” said Dr Attar.

After an educational session was administered and the self-examination was completed, Turath Alsaraf, director of the Records Management Team at the UK-based Guinness World Records, announced the results awarding VPS Healthcare the title for holding the largest simultaneous self-examination for breast cancer in history.

“It’s very important to detect cancer before it reaches the later stages. Therefore it was very significant that over two times as many women attended today as in the previous record. They became aware of how to perform the exam, and can now spread the knowledge on to others,” said Al Saraf. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Cancer | record | Guinness | Breast | VPS |

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