WCM-Q Raising Awareness of Breast Cancer

A hallway of Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q) turned pink as the college held a Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser.

The event was organized by third-year medical student Aya Youssef, who is also president of the WCM-Q Hematology-Oncology Interest Group.

The event, which is now in its third year, was a chance to learn more about the disease, raise awareness of the symptoms and treatment, and raised 23,000 QAR for Qatar Cancer Society.

Aya, who hopes to practice as a pediatric oncologist when she graduates, said: “We had great success with the event last year at Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Center. Following in the footsteps of that we decided to hold it again to raise awareness and provide support for Qatar Cancer Society.

“We aim to bridge the gap between students and the community and we’re hoping that our students will have a positive impact on the healthcare of Qatar’s population, particularly as breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in Qatar yet can be cured completely if caught in its early stages.”

The Breast Cancer Awareness Fundraiser hosted education stations to tell people about the symptoms of breast cancer and to debunk some medical myths about the disease. Representatives of Qatar Cancer Society were also in attendance to spread the message about diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, and a number of vendors were selling a variety of products, with each business agreeing to donate a percentage of their takings to Qatar Cancer Society.