CAIRO, Egypt—In the glow of the Great Pyramids of Giza flooded with pink lights, Dr. Shahla Masood represented the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville at an international event that demonstrated that breast cancer has no boundaries, no limits.
Masood, a professor and chair of the department of pathology and laboratory medicine, spoke at the University of Florida’s 15th Annual Multidisciplinary Symposium on Breast Disease, which she founded, and the First International Breast Health Education Program. The weeklong event in late October was organized by Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt under the auspices of Egypt’s First Lady Suzanne Mubarak. About 10,000 people gathered at the pyramids for the Egypt Race for the Cure, the first Komen race in the Middle East.
Nancy Brinker, founder of the Komen non-profit foundation to fight breast cancer and the symposium’s keynote speaker, thanked Masood for initiating the global collaboration and for raising awareness of breast cancer education in the Middle East and North Africa.
Masood, who is also medical director of the Shands Jacksonville Breast Health Center, is highly regarded worldwide for her advances in breast cancer research and treatment. She called the symposium "one of the most engaging experiences in relation to global networking and interest in our work." Participants—with such titles as princess, professor and president—represented cancer institutes, universities, medical centers and agencies around the world, including the American Cancer Society and National Institutes of Health. Masood’s workshop, "Difficult to Diagnose Cases in Breast Pathology," was part of the four-day symposium that provided an overview of diagnoses and treatment of all stages of breast cancer. More than 400 people attended the symposium’s public forum with simultaneous Arabic and English translations in Cairo’s Grand Hyatt Hotel.
In addition to the symposium and race, the week’s events included training in Alexandria for breast cancer advocates from 10 Mideast countries. Brinker said illuminating the pyramids pink sent a clear message that breast cancer knows no boundaries and that worldwide collaboration can make great strides against the disease. GE Healthcare, which introduced digital mammography 10 years ago, supported the lighting of the pyramids.
Brinker, also the United Nations’ World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Cancer Control, started Susan G. Komen for the Cure in 1982 to continue her sister Susan’s quest for a cure. Susan died of breast cancer at age 36. The world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, it has invested nearly $1.5 billion in the breast cancer movement. Nearly half a million women worldwide die from breast cancer each year.
Masood said the symposium in Cairo was a reflection of UFCOM-Jacksonville’s commitment to excellence in global breast health education for the public and physicians. Dr. Joe Harford, director of the International Office, National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, Washington, D.C., who moderated a symposium session, will work with her to develop a summary of the symposium as a supplement to The Breast Journal, which she founded.
Other event sponsors include: Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement, Suzanne Mubarak Regional Center for Women’s Health and Development, Ministry of Health of Egypt, U.S. Agency for International Development, American Cancer Society, Johns Hopkins University and Institute of International Education.