IRBID (Petra) — HRH Princess Basma on Monday opened the first clinic for the early detection of breast cancer in Irbid, which provides awareness and counselling for women in  local communities.

Highlighting the key role women play in preserving their families’ health, the Princess said she hoped similar clinics would be established in different parts of the Kingdom in order to enhance awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early detection.

Princess Basma toured the clinic’s different sections and met with nurses and medics. She highlighted the need to deal with this disease with patience and courage, noting that with medical advances the chances of recovery had increased.

Family health specialist, Ula Khalifeh, said the centre had helped save time, effort and money for women in the local community, as they no longer had to travel to Amman.

The clinic, which is affiliated with the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), is located in the JUST centre near Yarmouk University.

Khalifeh said there was a high turnout of women visiting the clinic, adding that chances of recovery increases with the early detection of the disease.

JUST President Wajih Owais said there was an urgent need to create a sustainable and integrated programme based on medical and scientific foundations for the early detection of breast cancer.

Some 75 to 80 per cent of Jordanian women with breast cancer discover their disease in the late stages.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women and represents 31 per cent of all female cancers in the country, with approximately 550 cases registered each year.

The ministries of health and planning and international cooperation, the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) and the USAID through the Private Sector Project for Women’s Health,  launched the National Breast Cancer Early Detection Programme in October last year.

The campaign focused on early detection of breast cancer through educating women on recognising symptoms, getting regular checkups and performing self-examinations.

KHCC and other health- care centres periodically conduct free clinical breast exams and discounted mammograms to encourage early testing among women and help eradicate fears and social stigmas associated with breast cancer.