Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths. The theme for the World Cancer Day this year, which is marked on February 4, like the previous year was ‘Close the Care Gap’ that focuses on eliminating the difference in access to cancer care services faced by people.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) and Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) and Sidra Medicine and other entities are developing processes and services to facilitate prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
The MoPH urged the public and healthcare professionals to lend their role in the global fight against cancer. The ministry said people can jointly bridge the care gap. Besides, educating ourselves and people around us on signs and symptoms of cancer, people can motivate others to go for screening services and mobilise friends, family members and coworkers to seek early care.
The MoPH launched Qatar’s first guide to cancer care services in April last year to make it easier for people to access care services, navigate the healthcare system and have a smooth experience throughout their treatment journey.
The HMC commenced nuclear treatment of tumors following the opening of the first Radiopharmaceutical Laboratory in Qatar in February last year
The new laboratory, located at HMC’s National Centre for Cancer Care and Research, provides cancer patients with diagnostic and therapeutic care locally, saving these patients the need to travel abroad for this type of care.
Treatment of cancer at the HMC oncology department is free for all residents. According to the department’s statistics, the proportion of Qataris receiving treatment abroad has decreased significantly during the past years, and many are willing to receive treatment in Qatar.
According to Qatar National Cancer Registry of the National Cancer Programme at the Ministry of Public Health, a total of 1,960 new cancer cases were diagnosed during 2018. The distribution of cases was as following: 20% among Qataris, 80% residents, 46% among females and 54% among males. The most common cancer among all nationalities was breast cancer, accounting for 16.58% of all cancer cases, followed by colorectal cancer at 9.44%. Thyroid cancer was the third most common cancer, at 6.33% of all cancer cases.
Cancer survival rate in Qatar is one of the highest in the world. Breast cancer survival rate among women was 88% and nearly 82% for colorectal cancer.
