Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) conducted a Breast Prosthetic Workshop aimed at educating clinical teams who are involved in the delivery of care to breast cancer patients. HMC’s Rehabilitation Services Department which is based in Rumailah Hospital invited surgeons, nurses, specialists in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, prosthetics and orthotics, and other staff who are involved with cancer patients and the fabrication of prosthesis to participate in the workshop. “We have organized the workshop in collaboration with the Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine in Qatar and the American Breast Care (ABC) company, which is considered a leading innovator in the post-mastectomy industry,” said Caroline Farran, Assistant Executive Director of Rehabilitation Services. ABC has sites in Marietta, Georgia in the United States and in Rosenheim, Germany. “This is part of our continuing efforts to equip our medical staff who work directly with cancer patients with the latest technology in this field, and enable them to evaluate different types of prosthetics,” said Farran. Barbara Buisset, a breast care specialist who works with ABC, conducted a presentation on breast prostheses including a practical demonstration, for which a breast cancer patient served as a model. “The prosthetic and orthopedic department in Rumailah Hospital is the single entity for producing prosthetic devices in Qatar. We are working to enhance the capacity of our clinical staff to care for breast cancer patients particularly those who need to undergo or have undergone breast surgery. We believe that our duty to our patients goes beyond providing surgery or treatment. Our ultimate goal is to assist them to lead fuller lives even after surgery. We want our staff to be particularly sensitive to the psychological and emotional needs of breast cancer patients, and to provide our patients and their families with better choices.” “Having these educational sessions will be of great assistance to us in achieving our objectives, and we are fortunate to have respected international experts to assist us in this endeavor,” Farran said. HMC has initiated various health services and information campaigns to cope with the rapid increase in the incidence of breast cancer in Qatar. From an average of 70 cases reported each year since the early 2000s, HMC has seen more than 100 new cases over the last two years. Since it launched its breast cancer screening program for early cancer detection in April 2008 to June this year, HMC has screened over 700 women, detecting and successfully treating six cases in the early stage. As part of October being Breast Cancer International Awareness Month, HMC in association with the Qatar National Cancer Society has organised a public awareness campaign to highlight the importance of self breast examination and regular mammograms for the early detection of breast cancer. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=October2009&file=Local_News2009102971424.xml

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