Cancer Incidence on Rise in Saudi Arabia

Cancer is growing in Saudi Arabia with 7,000 new cases being reported each year and the figure will reach 30,000 in 15 years, according to one expert.

The presence of a large crowd at the cancer awareness programme organised by the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) in the city recently, reflected the growing concern among Saudis and expatriates about cancer, one of the world’s top killers.

On the occasion, Roche International announced a cancer research prize (SR100,000). Princess Aliaa bint Abdullah, chairp! erson of the Disabled Children’s Association’s Social Service Programme, inaugurated the event which saw leading oncologists in the Kingdom answering questions raised by the audience, mostly women.

Princess Aliaa commended the outstanding role being played by KFSHRC in enhancing cancer awareness and providing the most advanced diagnosis and treatment facilities to treat the disease.

She emphasised the need for providing better care and treatment to cancer patients. She announced the launch of a charitable society named Ayadeena Lakum‚ (Our Hands for You) to support patients suffering from cancer and other chronic diseases. The charity will soon open a cancer awareness centre in ! Jeddah.

“We will open similar centres in other parts of the country at a later stage,” she said.

Dr Ezzeldin M. Ibrahim, chief medical officer at KFSHRC, made a presentation on how to make use of Internet web sites set up by renowned medical organisations for enhancing knowledge about cancer and taking preventive measures.

Some of these sites are:

www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

www.bccancer.bc.ca

www.patient.cancerconsultants.com.

After doctors and medical personnel, the Internet is the second most important information provider for patients and relatives. Quoting a study, he said that only 13 per cent of patients and their families make use of this information resource.

Dr Mouhammed Kelta, acting chairman of the department of oncology, said common disorders such as heart disease and most cancers arise from a complex interaction between genes and environmental factors.