The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has urged men and women between the ages of 50 to 74 to benefit from the bowel cancer early detection services available at a number of its health centres.
The PHCC offers the service through clinics at the following centres: Leabaib, Al Wakra, Rawdat Al Khail and Muaither, in addition to a mobile unit for early detection. Appointment for examination at the latter can be booked by calling 8001112.
The PHCC's call comes in conjunction with the International Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in March of every year, a global initiative that aims to urge members of society not to delay bowel cancer checks. This precautionary measure can help an individual overcome the disease and its complications which may manifest much before obvious symptoms appear, PHCC said.
The PHCC stated that studies on the prevalence of bowel cancer in Qatar suggests it tops the list of cancers among males followed by prostate cancer and leukemia or lung cancer. For women, while breast cancer was the most prevalent, it was followed by bowel cancer and then thyroid cancer.
The PHCC stressed that the cure rate for bowel cancer is as high as 90%, if detected at an early stage. Therefore, early examination is very critical in saving lives and creating a better chance to prevent and recover from the disease.
The PHCC urged men and women between the ages 50 to 74 to pursue a preventive approach for their health through making an appointment for medical screening at one of the PHCC-affiliated centres, noting that screening for bowel cancer is very simple with privacy ensured.
It is important that the checkups be done routinely every two years, as recommend by doctors, because detecting the disease early reduces the chance that the patient will need chemotherapy, PHCC pointed out.
The PHCC stressed pursuing a preventive approach such as eating vegetables, seeds, nuts, oats, chickpeas and bran grains, while maintaining regular physical activity to reduce excess body fat and the risks associated with cancer.
Doctors recommend the need to keep away from diets rich in red and processed meat that have been converted through salting, processing, fermentation, smoking, or other operations, and not to consume fast food regularly as it contains saturated fat. Also one must shun consuming soft drinks, as well as unsaturated fatty acids which are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil (hydrogenated oil).
To mark the World Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, PHCC is organising a number of events throughout this month, as part of a campaign to raise awareness of bowel cancer under the slogan "Beat it before it beats you".
The bowel cancer early detection programme is implemented within the framework of the Qatar National Cancer Programme, which is in line with the National Health Strategy, which aims to reduce the burden of cancer care on the country, while ensuring the provision of the best cancer services in the world when needed to facilitate the process of improving cancer-related outcomes.
The PHCC's call comes in conjunction with the International Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in March of every year, a global initiative that aims to urge members of society not to delay bowel cancer checks. This precautionary measure can help an individual overcome the disease and its complications which may manifest much before obvious symptoms appear, PHCC said.
The PHCC stated that studies on the prevalence of bowel cancer in Qatar suggests it tops the list of cancers among males followed by prostate cancer and leukemia or lung cancer. For women, while breast cancer was the most prevalent, it was followed by bowel cancer and then thyroid cancer.
The PHCC stressed that the cure rate for bowel cancer is as high as 90%, if detected at an early stage. Therefore, early examination is very critical in saving lives and creating a better chance to prevent and recover from the disease.
The PHCC urged men and women between the ages 50 to 74 to pursue a preventive approach for their health through making an appointment for medical screening at one of the PHCC-affiliated centres, noting that screening for bowel cancer is very simple with privacy ensured.
It is important that the checkups be done routinely every two years, as recommend by doctors, because detecting the disease early reduces the chance that the patient will need chemotherapy, PHCC pointed out.
The PHCC stressed pursuing a preventive approach such as eating vegetables, seeds, nuts, oats, chickpeas and bran grains, while maintaining regular physical activity to reduce excess body fat and the risks associated with cancer.
Doctors recommend the need to keep away from diets rich in red and processed meat that have been converted through salting, processing, fermentation, smoking, or other operations, and not to consume fast food regularly as it contains saturated fat. Also one must shun consuming soft drinks, as well as unsaturated fatty acids which are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil (hydrogenated oil).
To mark the World Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, PHCC is organising a number of events throughout this month, as part of a campaign to raise awareness of bowel cancer under the slogan "Beat it before it beats you".
The bowel cancer early detection programme is implemented within the framework of the Qatar National Cancer Programme, which is in line with the National Health Strategy, which aims to reduce the burden of cancer care on the country, while ensuring the provision of the best cancer services in the world when needed to facilitate the process of improving cancer-related outcomes.
