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| Abdul Rahman Jazieh and Dr Mohamed Ossama al-Homsi |
Al Amal Hospital, in co-operation with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), will tomorrow begin a three-day 2012 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) NCCN Conference”, which is expected to discuss and modify international guidelines in order to make them adaptable to the region in the treatment of six top cancer diseases including breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and lymphoma.
Around 300 participants from the MENA region and other Arab countries as well as Pakistan, Turkey, Morocco and Iran are expected to attend the meeting with the theme: “Clinical practice guidelines in oncology”.
It will feature around 21 scientific papers including oral and poster presentations, series of workshops and satellite symposium.
Speaking about the meeting at a press conference yesterday, NCCN regional director and King Abdulaziz Medical City Cancer Centre director Abdul Rahman Jazieh said that guidelines have become a global phenomenon, with interest in adapting them being voiced by various groups in
different regions.
“We are going to be discussing the international guidelines for six cancer diseases that are prevalent in the region and it is expected that the participants will come up with some sets of recommendations on how we can adapt some of the guidelines based on certain specifications to the region,” he said.
Jazieh explained that modification of guidelines were important due to genetic differences among people of different regions, which he said may require different approach to treatment of diseases.
“While taking a look at the international guidelines, we will be incorporating our suggestions and recommendations based on the required factors that are peculiar to the region and then we will be giving some sort of advisory recommendations on the treatment of these cancer diseases in the region,” he added.
Al Amal Hospital’s oncology/haematology department chairman and conference chairperson Dr Mohamed Ossama al-Homsi said that incidence of cancer in Qatar, notably breast and lung cancers, had increased due to increase in awareness within the
community.
“There is an increase in number of cancer cases because more people are changing their lifestyle, becoming informed and aware about the symptoms of the disease, especially the breast cancer and more people are coming for breast screening and an increased number are also doing self-breast examination,”
he said.
Present at the press conference was AAH Medical Oncology consultant Asma Mohamed el-Hassan.
