ABU DHABI // When Dr Sunita Mehta self-examined her breasts and found a lump, her world ground to a halt.
With a sinking heart, she strongly suspected she had breast cancer. "As a 53-year-old who was post-menopausal, I knew straight away that the lump, which had not been there six months before, was malignant," she said.
Speaking about her experience to raise awareness of the importance of early breast screening, Dr Mehta said it was when she had temporarily left Abu Dhabi to take up a position as a family physician in Toronto, Canada, that she made the discovery.
After reading a news item about breast cancer in early 2005, Dr Mehta realised that in the whirlwind of her new job, she had not carried out a breast self-examination in six months.
She carried out a quick check and found a hard lump in her right breast. Immediately, Dr Mehta booked an appointment with her GP and was referred for a mammogram.
Flying home to visit her husband in Abu Dhabi, she had the examination at Mafraq Hospital, on the outskirts of the city.
Her worst suspicions were confirmed. Dr Mehta was told she had malignant cancer in her right breast and would need surgery. Although a lumpectomy was on the cards, Dr Mehta opted to have her entire breast removed to rid herself of any risk.
Giving up her job in Canada, she returned to Abu Dhabi and, following the surgery, underwent four courses of chemotherapy.
Dr Mehta now has annual check-ups at Mafraq Hospital to determine if the cancer has returned, but today she is optimistic that she is cancer-free.
Speaking about her experience as Mafraq relaunches its annual drive to raise awareness of breast cancer, Dr Mehta, now 60, said early detection is key to survival.
"I have known women who have died from breast cancer and I have known women who have lived," she said.
"Early detection is so important. Women should perform self-examinations regularly and get a mammogram after the age of 40 or, if there is a history of breast cancer in the family, get a check-up earlier."
Mafraq Hospital's annual breast cancer health initiative is called "Ana Rosa". It aims to educate women about breast cancer and offer information on medical screening and preventative measures against the country's most common cancer.
Dr Rola Shaheen is fronting the campaign, which aims to reach out and help thousands of women. Last year the campaign reached 6,000 women, she said.
"Screening for women over 40 years of age is a must," she said, "while high-risk patients may need to start at an earlier age."
But of course, not every case fits the mould. Dr Cambria Russell, a US expatriate living and working in Ras al Khaimah, was in her thirties when she discovered she had triple negative breast cancer.
Several years after the diagnosis, and her successful treatment, Dr Russell, who has two young children, is back to work and, on occasion, helping young women talk about breast cancer - from how important it is to check for it, to how best you can support someone dealing with it.
Leading a discussion last week at the American Academy in Al Mizhar, Dubai, Dr Russell spoke to a room full of students about how she, and her family and friends, coped with the situation.
Hearing directly from a person who has been affected by cancer puts other things into perspective, said 17-year-old Maral Berenjian, an Iranian student at the school.
"It's very eye opening. You value your blessings more. You understand that all the first world problems basically just diminish. When you a see a women like [Dr Russell] talking...it's very important."
Young female adults do not generally talk about cancer unless they have been personally affected by it, said the teenager. By facing the issue head on, the topic becomes easier to speak about, she added.
Having publicly discussed her story before, including taking part in talks during breast cancer awareness month, it is imperative that young women are exposed to information on breast cancer, said Dr Russell.
"I think that it's important that they get used to hearing about these things because they are significant for their health," said the doctor, who attended last month's Oscars after starring in Mondays at Racine, a film that focuses on a beauty salon that helps women going through chemotherapy, and which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).
"If they go through their whole schooling and no-one has ever said the word 'breast', or 'nipple' to them, when they do find something wrong, it's likely they'll be embarrassed to talk to their mother, their doctor - to anyone about it," said the doctor.
"The more exposure they have to the normalcy of discussing these issues, the safer they are."
jbell@thenational.ae
zalhassani@thenational.ae
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kasabian%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EColumbia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
More coverage from the Future Forum
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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