(WASHINGTON, DC) – A National Awareness Campaign to Combat Breast Cancer has been inaugurated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to coincide with international Breast Cancer Awareness month. The campaign is led by Princess Hessah bint Trad Al-Shaalan, the Honorary President of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association and wife of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and Princess Rima bint Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. It officially launched on October 10.

As part of this ongoing breast cancer awareness campaign in Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz University (KAU) announced that it will establish the first center of excellence in the region for breast cancer. The center will perform mammograms and cooperate in research with specialized international research facilities in Geneva and the United States. It will be run by Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi, a breast cancer survivor and member of the Saudi Cancer Society.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the Kingdom and is the number one killer of women in the region. Saudi Arabia continues to work with the global community to fight this disease. In February 2008, KAU Hospital hosted a breast cancer awareness campaign organized by the Saudi Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the U.S. State Department. The campaign took place in Riyadh, Jeddah, Qassim and Dammam, Saudi Arabia.