Officials in the medical sector revealed that 3,100 new cases of cancer was diagnosed during 2020, and 900 patients underwent radiotherapy.

Speaking to local Arabic daily Arrayah on the occasion of World Cancer Day, February 4, the officials highlighted pointed out Qatar's healthcare institutions provide the latest technologies and drugs to treat cancer patients for free.

Dr Mohamed Salem al-Hassan, medical director, National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), said there has been a 13.2% increase annually in the number of patients.

"The NCCCR is the only place in Qatar dedicated to the treatment of oncology, as it provides the latest international technologies in radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other treatment programmes. The centre currently has 104 external and internal clinics and receives between 150 and 200 patients daily."

Dr al-Hassan pointed out that despite the Covid-19 epidemic challenge, NCCCR services have continued. He pointed out that the detection of the disease in the early stages is crucial, especially in types such as breast cancer, in which the cure rate reaches more than 90% if detected early.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer seen in Qatar, followed by colon cancer, leukemia, lymphoma and prostate cancer.

Dr al-Hassan noted the importance of spreading awareness among all segments of society by ensuring periodic examinations, especially if there is a genetic history of the disease in the family, in order to detect the disease in its initial stages. This increases the rates of recovery, he said.

He said immunotherapy drugs are one of the modern therapeutic techniques used to treat more than 25 types of cancers, in addition to traditional intravenous medicines.

There is a great scientific development in the treatment of colon, lung and breast cancer.

He revealed that there are new types of cancer treatments, including targeted or so-called "targeted therapy" drugs which destroy the target or tumour without affecting the healthy tissues or cells surrounding the tumour. Hormonal treatments for breast and prostate cancer too have become more effective and less harmful, he said .

Dr al-Hassan confirmed that the Department of Radiation Therapy has worked to develop and introduce new technologies to include treating new conditions such as the Trigeminal neuralgia.

In addition, extensive research has been conducted that will see the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions and Adaptive Radiotherapy (Adaptive Radiotherapy) in 2021.

Dr Sheikha Sami Abu Sheikha, director of the Cancer Programme at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), confirmed that more than 75,000 participants have undergone early screening since the programme was launched in 2016, with 37,000 women screened for breast cancer and 38,000 men and women for bowel cancer.

Dr Sheikha said: “The PHCC transfers suspected cases to the competent authorities at HMC within 48 hours, to conduct more checks to confirm, diagnose and start treatment in the early stages of the disease.”

She explained that the early detection of cervical cancer is available in all PHCC health centres, while screening for breast and bowel cancer is available in the centres of Leabaib, Al Wakra and Rawdat Al Khail, in addition to the mobile unit.

 
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