More Arab Women Speaking Out About Breast Cancer

Oct. 22, 2007 — -- Talking about breast cancer is virtually taboo in the Middle East, but some women there are determined to change that.

"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts talked to three women in the United Arab Emirates committed to bringing breast cancer awareness to their fellow countrywomen -- two are breast cancer survivors, one a leading cancer surgeon.

Fakhria Lufti, a breast cancer survivor, said that the subject is still very hard to talk about in the country.

"There is a lot of women I know, they just don't talk about it, even when they refer to cancer, they just say, 'that disease,'" Lufti said.

Adila Nasser, another survivor, agreed.

"The people around me, my society, don't tell anybody you've got cancer, you mustn't tell people, it's shameful," she said.

Together with Dr. Houriya Kazim, Nasser and Lufti are determined to break the cycle of shame.

"I thought, I need to come out with this, I need to speak about it, I need to let other women be aware that this is around, and if they detect it early they will go on to live healthy lives," Nasser said.

Women everywhere have the same fears about dealing with cancer -- a major one being losing their hair from chemotherapy.

"You can hide your breast surgery under your clothes but the hair I think is something that is a giveaway," Kazim said. "It's not the nausea and that that bothers them, it's the hair loss."

There are differences, though, in how breast cancer is perceived in the Middle East. Some women in the region say they will not admit to having breast cancer because they are afraid their husband will leave them.

But Lufti said that women everywhere fear that.

"Arab men, American men, I lived in the states seven years -- men are men, the same," she said.

Some women are also afraid to admit they have breast cancer because it may make their daughters less marriageable.

"It happened with a Lebanese family I knew," Lufti said. "[A friend] said, 'Maybe no one will ask me for marriage.' And I said, 'What does this have to do?' She said, 'My mother told me don't tell anybody.'"