IN the 1990s when Mona realised that she was suffering from it, she felt all alone in the world. She felt dreadful as she left the clinic where a doctor had just diagnosed her as having colorectal cancer. "My family couldn't help me; they just hoped I'd get better." What made it worse was the way people looked at her when they discovered that she had cancer. "Their looks destroyed my hopes of recovering." But Mona was buoyed up when she found out about a Cairo-based NGO that has helped many patients like her to recover. She decided to get on with her life, enrolling for a Master's and starting doing things she never thought she would, like climbing Saint Catherine's Mountain. She also told herself that she could beat cancer and she did. Mona bravely shared her story at a recent conference in Cairo entitled 'Change your Lifestyle', for prevention of cancer of the digestive system, organised by CanSurvive, an NGO for cancer patients and survivors. "Colorectal cancer is the second most prevalent cancer in men and women worldwide, representing 11.5 per cent of the total cancer cases in the world. In Egypt, colorectal cancer accounts for up to 6 per cent of total cancer cases," Dr Mohssen Mokhtar, the Chairman of CanSurvive and Assistant Professor of Clinical Oncology at Cairo University, told conferees. CanSurvive has launched a month-long campaign to address four key elements to prevent cancer of the digestive system: a healthy diet, an active lifestyle, quitting smoking and regular screenings. "The campaign includes the distribution of free screening vouchers and educational materials at CityStars in Nasr City, Cairo and Carrefour Alexandria, as well as the launch of a website with a variety of applications, downloadable data and interactive sessions with specialised physicians," Dr Mokhtar said. In addition, there is a free call centre (16197) for inquiries, answered by specialised oncologists, he said. About the symptoms of colorectal cancer, Professor of Oncology at Cairo University Dr Yasser Abdel- Kader explained that the symptoms do not generally appear until it has begun to spread. "You should contact the doctor when you feel a pain in the belly, notice blood in your stool, start having dark stools or a change in bowel habits, such as more frequent stool or a feeling that the bowels are not emptying completely," he added. Dr Mohamed Abul Gheit, Professor of Nutrition, Cairo University and Secretary-General of the Egyptian Medical Society for the Study of Obesity, said that some lifestyles increase the risk. One of them is diet. "A diet that is high in red meats is risky. Methods of cooking meats at very high temperature create chemicals that might increase the risk of cancer. Diets high in vegetables and fruits have been linked with decreased risk of colorectal cancer. This is far better than eating junk food and sweets. He has said that there is also a connection between obesity and cancer of the digestive system. More than any type of cancer, colorectal cancer is directly linked with a person's dietary habits. Dr Abul Gheit warned that obesity is increasing in Egypt, which will make Egyptians more vulnerable to many types of diseases, especially colorectal cancer. People who smoke heavily, drink a lot of alcohol and suffer from type 2 diabetes also run an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, Dr Abul Gheit said.
