Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the second leading cause of global cancer-related deaths.
Qatar’s Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) launched a national month-long awareness campaign on bowel cancer on Sunday under the title ‘Be Aware, Be Safe, Get Screened’, Doha’s state news agency (QNA) reported.
The campaign came as part of Qatar’s efforts to raise awareness among the population, especially those aged 50 and above, on bowel cancer—one of the most common cancers in the country.
“This emphasises the importance of screening especially if it was detected at an early stage, bowel cancer is treatable and the chances of getting cured reach up to 90 percent,” Dr. Shaikha Abu Shaikha, Director of the screening programmes at the PHCC, said, as quoted by QNA.
The local health expert pointed to the need to get a Fecal Immunochemical Test among men and women even in the absence of symptoms of bowel cancer.
Those who last took the test two years ago or did not undergo a colonoscopy within the past 10 years are also urged to get a FIT test.
“The key to the prevention of bowel cancer is through a healthy lifestyle and periodic screening which is done through the Screen For Life programme,” Dr. Shaikha said, referring to the programme launched on Friday.
The Gulf state is seeking to develop its cancer treatment and care facilities, particularly with the launch of the Qatar Cancer Plan 2023-2026 on June 18, 2023. Qatar is already the first in the world to provide cancer-suspected patients with secondary medical care from a specialist within 48 hours.
The cancer plan covers the psychological and social aspects of patient care, both of which are crucial to ensure better outcomes of cancer treatment.
Last year, five Qatari hospitals were ranked among the world’s top 250 academic medical centres, the highest number of hospitals from the region on the global ranking. The facilities included the National Center for Cancer Care and Research.
Second leading cause of cancer deaths
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the second leading cause of global cancer-related deaths, according to the World Health Organization. It is also the third most common cancer type in the world, representing 10% of cancer cases.
The cancer diagnosis often happens at advanced stages, making screening a crucial part of ensuring better recovery.
In July 2023, the WHO warned that the burden of bowel cancer will increase to 3.2 million annual cases by 2040, representing a 63 percent increase. The deaths will also increase by 73 percent, with 1.6 million estimated deaths expected to occur per year.