Podcast "Let's Talk Cancer" – Providing supportive care in Egypt

This new episode of Let’s Talk Cancer builds on the recent World Cancer Day campaign theme 'United by Unique' about people-centred cancer care, exploring how comprehensive support can transform the breast cancer journey for women in Egypt and across the region.

Cary Adams speaks with Dr Yomna Sherif, Patient Navigation Manager and breast surgeon at the Baheya Foundation in Egypt, a UICC member organisation dedicated to improving outcomes for women with breast cancer, and winner of the World Cancer Day Campaign award in 2024.

Together, they look at how Baheya puts people-centred care into practice through services such as patient navigation, practical skills support, and help with transport and accommodation – and how patient-led organisations can shape more responsive, compassionate cancer services in their countries and beyond.

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Podcast transcript

Cary Adams: Welcome to a new episode of the podcast Let’s Talk Cancer, the podcast where we explore the latest developments, stories and insights in cancer control worldwide, talking to amazing people. I am Cary Adams, the CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control, an organisation that unites and supports the cancer community to reduce the global cancer burden.

In this episode, we build on World Cancer Day, focus on people‑centred care, and look at how comprehensive support can transform the breast cancer journey for women in Egypt and across the region. We explore what it means to design services around the needs, preferences and lived experiences of individuals and their families, and how this approach can help reduce the emotional, social and financial burden of cancer.

Our guest is Doctor Yomna Sherif, patient navigation manager and breast surgeon at the Baheya Foundation in Egypt, a UICC member organisation dedicated to improving outcomes for women with breast cancer. The Baheya Foundation for Early Detection and Treatment of Breast Cancer is part of UICC’s Patient Group Mentoring Programme and won the World Cancer Day Campaign Award in 2024.

The organisation provides a range of supportive care services including patient navigation, computer literacy courses that help those who have experienced cancer return to the workforce, and accommodation and transport to alleviate financial toxicity. With Doctor Sherif, we will look at how the foundation puts people‑centred care into practice, how it supports women to navigate complex health systems, and how patient‑led organisations can help shape more responsive and compassionate cancer services in their countries and beyond. Doctor Sherif, it is a pleasure to have you on the show.

Yomna Sherif: It’s very nice to be here as well, Cary, and the UICC team. It’s a great pleasure.

Cary Adams: Thank you for doing this podcast. Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us what your role is at the foundation?

Yomna Sherif: I’m a breast cancer surgeon — an oncoplastic breast surgeon — and I’m the patient navigation programme manager. I also give educational sessions with our awareness team, spreading the message to people all over Egypt: to know more about breast cancer, to recognise the symptoms, to understand the benefits of early detection and how they can come to us to get checked. So my role is surgery, navigation and education.

Cary Adams: Baheya is a UICC member and a key part of our community, and it’s always great to talk to individuals within our membership. You’ve also been part of the Patient Group Mentoring Programme. Could you tell us about Baheya’s mission and the communities you serve?

Yomna Sherif: We are an NGO. We serve all women who need to be checked for breast cancer. We have seven pillars.

The first is awareness — raising awareness in the community and ensuring women understand the symptoms of breast cancer.

The second is early detection — helping women move from awareness to screening. Even though all our services are free of charge, it was difficult at first to encourage women to come for screening mammograms. Breaking this stigma was very important.

The third pillar is treatment and management for women diagnosed through early detection.

The fourth is psychological support, which highlights our patient‑centred services. We support the patient psychologically and empower her throughout her journey, along with her family.

The fifth is volunteering. Most of our psychosocial support is provided by volunteers, many of whom are cancer survivors or relatives who want to give back.

The sixth pillar is research. At the Baheya Research Centre, we document patient data, treatment outcomes and cancer registry information, and we publish this to share knowledge.

The seventh is the training academy, where we train others and give back to the community.

Together, these pillars reflect our mission: to see the patient not only as someone receiving treatment but as a person we support from all aspects.

Cary Adams: That sounds comprehensive. You mentioned patient‑centred care, which links closely to this year’s World Cancer Day theme, United by Unique. You also emphasised supporting the family, because every woman is part of a family network. How do you work with families?

Yomna Sherif: People‑centred care is very important at Baheya. We treat the patient as a partner in the treatment journey. Her words matter. Her feelings matter. She is a mother, a professional, a family member — and we listen to all these parts of her identity.

For example, some women hesitate to seek treatment because they do not want to leave their children or make them feel anxious. We involve families: we invite them to the centre, organise activities for the patient, her children and her husband, and provide psychosocial sessions for couples to help husbands understand her treatment and side effects.

The patient’s voice is essential. Whatever she expresses, we try to find a solution so she does not drop out of treatment because of challenges beyond her control.

Cary Adams: At UICC we say you’re not treating the tumour, you’re treating the person. Do you feel that this approach makes a big difference?

Yomna Sherif: Yes, absolutely. Women often tell us they struggled to explain to their husbands how they feel, how the treatment affects them, or why they cannot care for the family as before. When families are involved, they understand better, and the woman feels more supported.

Cary Adams: This reminds me of a story from Princess Dina Mired in Jordan about encouraging earlier presentation when many women were diagnosed at stage III or IV. Are you facing similar barriers?

Yomna Sherif: Yes. Late‑stage diagnosis was common, especially in Baheya’s early years. Baheya has been open for ten years, and we’ve seen a huge improvement. Today, around 50–55% of women come to us and are diagnosed early.

We encourage women to say, “I feel something,” “I see a symptom,” “I have a concern,” and to get checked. Reducing stigma has been key.

Cultural barriers were also significant — many women refuse to be examined by male doctors. At Baheya, having many female doctors helps immensely.

Financial barriers are also common. As an NGO, we rely on donations to offer all services free of charge. Fortunately, companies, universities and community groups often support us.

Cary Adams: Funding is a challenge everywhere, especially in low‑ and middle‑income countries. What have you been asking from the government?

Yomna Sherif: We meet government officials regularly and involve patients. At one event attended by ministers and the president, a patient spoke about the excellent care at Baheya but highlighted the long waiting lists, as we had only one centre at the time.

The response was very positive. The president and Minister of Health launched the Presidential Initiative for Women’s Health, which began in 2019 and has since screened millions of women — far more than we could reach alone.

Cary Adams: So breast cancer screening is now available across Egypt?

Yomna Sherif: Yes. The initiative operates mobile vans across all governorates to ensure no woman is left behind.

Cary Adams: Your organisation has also participated in UICC’s Patient Group Mentoring Programme. How was that experience?

Yomna Sherif: It was wonderful. We hosted two peer‑learning visits — one from Cameroon and one from the Patients’ Friends Society in Palestine. We learned a great deal from each other. One visitor, Evelyne, used what she learned to propose a national patient navigation programme in her country.

Cary Adams: That’s fantastic. I also read that you offer digital and computer literacy courses to help women return to work. Could you explain?

Yomna Sherif: Cancer turns a person’s world upside down. Many women lose confidence and worry how others will treat them. Some lose their jobs due to fatigue or treatment.

We run workshops teaching crafts, jewellery‑making, handmade bags and more. Women can sell their products and earn income.

We also run literacy courses for women who did not receive formal education. Through a collaboration with the state, they can earn certificates equivalent to primary, secondary or even higher education.

Transportation is another barrier, so we collaborate with agencies to provide free or discounted transport.

In short, we study every barrier and try to provide a solution.

Cary Adams: So you’re preparing women not only to recover from cancer but to thrive afterwards.

Yomna Sherif: Exactly. We even created a boutique inside the hospital where women can shop for free for themselves and their families.

Cary Adams: How do you engage husbands and partners?

Yomna Sherif: First, through awareness. We invite men to our sessions and encourage them to participate.

We also explain that breast cancer, while rare, can occur in men.

During treatment, we encourage husbands to come to appointments and understand the side effects and emotional impact of treatment.

We also provide educational materials on how to support a loved one with breast cancer and manage caregiver burnout.

Sadly, some women face abandonment due to misconceptions. We counter this by empowering women and ensuring that all treatment information is communicated directly to the patient herself. A husband cannot come alone to collect medication; the patient must come to be examined and heard.

Cary Adams: In 2024 you won a World Cancer Day Campaign Award. Congratulations. What have you done for World Cancer Day 2026 and the United by Unique theme?

Yomna Sherif: Last year we focused on storytelling. We collected stories from patients, families and healthcare providers. Stories have great power.

This year we are publishing many written and video stories, running awareness sessions over three weeks, hosting storytelling workshops, lighting our buildings in pink and orange, and organising a kayaking event on the Nile.

We are also opening our new early detection unit in New Cairo, the first step in our third hospital.

Cary Adams: Please send us photos. Thank you for sharing your story and the story of the foundation. It’s inspiring, and I’m sure many listeners will be motivated.

Yomna Sherif: Thank you, Cary. It has been a pleasure. And thank you to all UICC members for the opportunities and learning you provide.

Cary Adams: I’ll pass that on to the team. Thank you for listening to this episode of Let’s Talk Cancer. Please rate and subscribe for more content each month. To learn more about UICC’s work, especially around World Cancer Day’s United by Unique theme, visit uicc.org or follow us on social media. I look forward to seeing you again.