Educators Without Borders

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE FIGHT 
AGAINST CANCER

By H.E. Prof. Dr. Mahmoud M Mahfouz

On this special occasion, I am thankful and grateful to the Almighty for all what I achieved during my lifetime. I am deeply grateful to the INCTR, Board & Members for their kind nomination of the Nazly Gad el- Mawla award. I am also indebted to my wife, my family, my colleagues, all my friends, assistants and to all those who were involved, associated or connected with my professional, social or political careers. I am also profoundly grateful to my patients and their families who gave me their confidence, as well as, their helpful understanding. In the course of my address, I will be touching on a broad range of 5 different subjects which include the following topics including:  milestones in Egypt’s history of fighting disease and health behavior and policies of cancer control strategies.     

I am an Egyptian born 1923 in Asyut, one of the ancient and major cities of Upper Egypt. This city is the last stop, of the 40 days Desert Road that links Egypt to Sudan And Chad. It was the only surface road that links the great desert of Africa with the Nile Valley, 350 years BC the Greeks, named my country EGYPTOS which means "the country of the black soil." Thus, the inhabitants of Egypt, whether they were Jews, Christians or Muslims are considered Egyptians. Indeed, at this juncture, an anthropological and genetic outlook of the Egyptian Genome is required.

Who are the Egyptians?

Looking back into history, I can identify in the Egyptian Genome, 8 out of 10 races existing in the world. The original race is:

1- Hamites, (which mixed with),
2- Semites,
3- The Greeks,
4- The Romans,
5- The Persians,
6- The Eurasians, (who lived along the Caspian Sea, the Seljuk’s & the Turks).
7- The Mongols as well as, all the East Asian races, during (11^th century).
8- All the European Races, (13^th. Century, during the Crusade Wars).
9- The Mayas and Aztecs of the Americas are thought to be of   Egyptian Origin.
10-The Aborigines of Australia.

 Accordingly, the Egyptian Genetic Map has inherited a mixture of almost all the characters of the Human Genome.

 Such a genetic mixture made the Egyptian civilization, one of the earliest and basic platforms of Human development.
Taking into consideration, that Egypt, has known the Monotheistic belief before Judaism, Christianity and Islam, thus becoming the cradle of human culture and knowledge, which maintained the build-up of Human Civilization and the System of Human Values.

At this juncture, I shall give a brief review of the history of the fight of disease and cancer in Egypt.

THE ANCIENT HISTORICAL EPOCHS

·         > Than 7000 years Ancient Egyptian civilization.

·         >5500 The OON School of medicine and the description of disease and tumors and their treatment.

·         330 BC-650-AC The Greco-Roman period and The Alexandria Cradle of culture.

·         650-1300 AC. The Medieval Arab epoch, Ibn Radwan, Ibn El Nafis, EL Basry and others.

MODERN HISTORICAL EPOCHS

·         1798 AC, The French Expedition to Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte.

·         1805 Mohamed Aly, Founder of Modern Egypt.

·         1827 The Abozabal, hospital. Dr Clott

·         1832 Missions of young Egyptian scholars to France.

·         1838 The school of medicine and nursing, Kasr El Einy (KEE). Dr Clott.

·         1882 British occupation of Egypt.

·         1908The National University- School of Medicine of Kasr El Einy (KEE).

·         1920 The Egyptian Medical Association E M A.

·         1923 The installation of the 1st. radio diagnostic equipment.

·         1925 The change of the National University to Fouad 1^st University, Kasr El Einy Faculty of Medicine.

·         1927 Installation of the Radium Bomb and introduction Brachytherapy.

·         1935 The Institute of Radiology Kasr El Einy Faculty of Medicine Fouad 1^st University.

·         1937 Departments of: Radiodiagnosis, Radiotherapy and Radium therapy (46 beds), Electrotherapy and Physical Medicine, DMRE.

·         1948 the Egyptian Society of Radiology, Affiliate of the Egyptian Medical Association E M A.

·         1949 Start of Medical Radiation Physics in the Radiology Institute.

·         1955 Ministry of Health established a Cancer Hospital, which was affiliated to Cairo University and was changed to a Cancer Institute 1960.

·         1955 Establishment of the Atomic Energy Committee EAEC. 

First use of open radio nuclides in the diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant disease, in Ein Shams University.

·         1962 Separate postgraduate qualifications in Radio-diagnosis, Radiation therapy and Nuclear Medicine Master (MS) and Doctorate (MD) degrees.

·         1963 Installation of the 1^st Cobalt 60 tele-therapy unit, In the Radiotherapy Dept. Faculty of Medicine Cairo University.

·         1968 Start of Kasr El Einy Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo Univ. (NEMROCK).

·         1968 Introduction of the first Cesium 137 Tele-therapy unit in KEE.

·         Establishment of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Departments and Services in 9 state universities.

·         1970 The Egyptian Cancer Society, Affiliate of the Egyptian Med. Association EMA.

·         1974 The Egyptian Welfare society for Cancer Patients and Families.

·         1993 The Ministry of Health constructs 7 centers for cancer treatment.

·         1994 The Egyptian Society of 0ncology and Nuclear Medicine, Affiliate of the Egyptian Medical Association.

·         2001 The start of the Pediatric Oncology Hospital.

·         2003 Start of the National Cancer Registry Ministry of Health.

·         2004 The Cairo INCTR meeting.

These milestones of the history of the fight against disease in Egypt during the last 7000 years, promotes and urges all scientists of the world to identify the forthcoming health promotion problems of the 3^rd millennium especially those problems which challenge the 3^rd world countries.

Among such problems, how the developing countries would meet the challenge of the use of molecular biology knowledge, in their cancer control strategies?

Furthermore, the consideration of the inter-relations between environment,  life style, human migrations, wars and invasions, habits, and pollutants (chemical and  Biological) and their responsibility in the increase of cancer's incidence.

Needless to mention, that socio-economic life stress factors induces psychological tress, which is directly related to the imbalances of hormone release. Such imbalances are known to be risk factors strongly related to the high incidence of certain types of neoplasms.   

Strategies for Developing Countries

As most Developing Countries are suffering from overpopulation associated with a slow developing economy, that cannot meet or cope with the soaring rise of medical care cost. The only way to solve this riddle is to give high priority to early disease detection and  the adoption of preventive health strategies.

Needless to mention, that the role and participation of the individual in pollution control and in the fight of disease, is achievable when emphasis is put on the eradication of illiteracy and on the promotion of health awareness among the people.

However, such policies are scarcely politically attractive because, they are of long-term nature. Furthermore, such policies often receive a second degree of priority among health policy decision makers.

I would like to appeal for your research and support on the following matters:  

Starting Points

1- How can we promote and urge the individual to participate in health promotion strategies?

2- How to involve the media and clergy institutions in such objectives?

3- Can Scientists select bundles of information to be utilized by   experts of the education, clergy and media, in order that Health Public Education would be an integral part of the national culture?

4- Are there new approaches to help the Developing countries to overcome the financial burden of the soaring prices of the Anti-cancer drugs without affecting the economy of the drug Industry?

We must recall that the drug industries are not charity organizations. They are profit makers and promoters of   research.
Therefore, the establishment under the auspices of the WHO of an international fund is suggested, to meet that challenge. Funding can be provided by allocating a very small % of the profits of the drug industry of all countries of the world as well as, to charity donations. All such resources are eventually tax exempted. Therefore, the establishment of the National Health Registry becomes a necessity in all countries that seek the benefits of that fund, because national Health and cancer registries are not efficient and/or complete, in most Developing countries.

Professor Mahmoud Mahfouz MBCHB, DMRE, FRCR, was professor of oncology and chairman (68-83) of Kasr Eleiny Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Center at Cairo University [NEMROCK], Egypt. He has been involved in education and training in radiation and medical oncology in various Egyptian Universities and in Sudan, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the Emirates and Malaysia. He has supervised more than 185 postgraduates for their MD and Masters degrees. He was Egyptian Minister of Health, member of the Senate, member of the Presidential Advisory Board, Medical Advisor to the Ministry of Scientific Research. He has also undertaken leadership roles in various international organizations involved with health, science and education. He has served or acted as consultant to various UN committees, the WHO, Technical Committee on Cancer, WHO Division of Human Sciences (Medical Research) and WHO (EMRO).  He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including Egypt's State Merit [1974], the Art and Science Order [1992], the State Merit Prize for Biological Sciences [1992], Chevalier of the Legion D’Honneur, France [1982], and the Mubarak Prize for Applied Sciences 2003. He can be reached at m_m_mahfouz@yahoo.com

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