A 60-year-old American man, a professional in healthcare system design, underwent his first ever health check-up after his wife insisted on it.
Brian de Francesca had never previously suffered from health issues and never felt the need for a check-up, but his wife, Nadine, was adamant.
He went into the appointment not expecting there to be any significant findings – but the decision proved to be life-changing, as avoiding the health screening could have led to a fatal outcome.
Not going for regular health checks and screening is not manly, it is selfish
Brian de Francesca
“I was like most people, especially men, who keep planning to get health checks 'next week', and suddenly it's years later,” Mr de Francesca, who lives in Garhoud, Dubai, said.
The tests in May 2021, part of a routine executive check-up, revealed an elevated Prostate-Specific-Antigen (PSA) level.
“It was a surprise. I'd been doing triathlons, marathons and felt healthy,” he said.
This led to further treatments, including surgery and hormone therapy at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
“If there is one takeaway from all this, it is that every man needs to get checked, regardless of how fit they feel,” Mr de Francesca said.
“It is rather ironic that I am designing the next generation of healthcare organisations around the world and yet did not do my annual check-ups.
“I needed my wife to drag me to get my PSA test. I save the lives of others – she saved my life.”
Dr Waleed A Hassen, department chairman of urology at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, sees a few hundred new prostate cancer cases each year.
“Prostate cancer is a disease of ageing. As the population in this young country grows older, we expect to see an increase in cases in the coming years,” he said.
“In certain cultures, men, viewed as providers and caretakers, often neglect their own health, seeing it as a sign of weakness to seek medical help.”
Yet prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men and screening is key in the fight against it.
“Men need to be screened from the age of 50, and earlier if there's a family history of cancer. Regular screening is crucial as prostate cancer can progress without symptoms,” he added.
According to the World Health Organisation, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide and the fourth most common cancer overall.
Early detection through screening, such as a PSA test, significantly improves treatment outcomes.
According to the American Cancer Centre, about one man in eight will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.
A 2018 study published in the Baltimore Journal of Medicine at the National Library of Medicine reported an incidence of 4.5 per 100,000 among Emirati males.
Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men and in non-Hispanic black men. About six cases in 10 are diagnosed in men who are 65 or older, and it is rare in men under 40.
Mr de Francesca finished his treatment in May and today is fit, healthy and is continuing on his mission of creating innovative healthcare systems. He travelled to Rwanda this week, where he is developing a new medical school, teaching hospital and medical city.
“Not going for regular health checks and screening is not manly – it is selfish, immature and irresponsible,” he said.
“If I had not found out about my cancer when I did, my possible death would have not only negatively effected those I love, but those I serve. I now realise that men have a responsibility to better manage our health.
“Not doing so is unloving and uncaring.”
Read more about the coronavirus
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
57%20Seconds
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA
First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam
Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
Miguel Cotto world titles:
WBO Light Welterweight champion - 2004-06
WBA Welterweight champion – 2006-08
WBO Welterweight champion – Feb 2009-Nov 2009
WBA Light Middleweight champion – 2010-12
WBC Middleweight champion – 2014-15
WBO Light Middleweight champion – Aug 2017-Dec 2017
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
