The Primary Health Care Corporation's (PHCC) screening programme for breast and bowel cancers among the country's residents are receiving remarkably good response these days.
While informing this at an awareness programme held at the PHCC Health Centre at Leabaib on Tuesday Chairman of the Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) Dr Sheikh Khaled bin Jabor al-Thani said the society is happy with the response the campaign is receiving from the country's residents as a large number of people are responding positively to their campaigns and showing interest in visiting health centres to undergo screening tests on their own.
Earlier, Clinical Lead Radiologist (Breast and Bowel Screening) of the National Cancer Programme Dr Mohamed Elsaid Abdelnabi said their data showed 18766 females underwent breast cancer screening in the two years between January 31, 2016 and January 31, 2018 and 121 were confirmed to have acquired malignant cancer. According to the figures released by the authorities, out of the 18766 females who underwent full screening during the period, 16456 underwent for primary or normal screening. The remaining persons underwent for further tests. More than 27,000 were scheduled for breast cancer screening, it said. 
Similarly, 14,346 men and women underwent screening for bowel cancer, out of which 12 were confirmed to have acquired malignant cancer. Among those underwent tests , 13,351 persons did primary or normal screening while 995 went for further tests to ensure that they were fully free from this form of cancer. More than 40,000 persons were scheduled for the screening. 
Though separate figures for 2016 and 2017 were not available, the authorities said there was a substantial increase in screening in 2017 compared to the previous year mainly owing to increased awareness among community members. "This was possible only because of effective campaigns carried out by the authorities at different levels, said Dr Abdelnabi.
There was also a higher acceptance among the residents due to awareness and repeat visits for bowel cancer screening. 
Figures also revealed that there was a three-fold rise in the bowel cancer screening in 2017 compared to 2016. 
There was higher utilisation of the facilities at the three dedicated clinics where the campaign has been going on since its launch at the beginning of 2016. The clinics where the screening facilities are available are in Al Wakra, Leabaib and Rawdat Al Khail.
While any resident can go directly to any of the three centres for screening, the citizens also have the benefit of making booking through the call centre 8001112.
The cancer screening programme encourages women in the age group 45-69 with no symptoms to receive breast cancer screening through mammography, which is generally considered safe, quick and relatively painless.

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