46,200 Breast Cancer Screenings Reveal 418 "Hidden" Cases

A workshop organized by the National Campaign for Cancer Awareness (Kaan) via Zoom, as part of the breast cancer awareness initiative, revealed that 418 cancer cases, all asymptomatic, were detected among 46,225 tests conducted so far.

Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cancer Control Association, emphasized during the workshop, titled “The Impact of Awareness in Reducing the Suffering of Breast Cancer Patients and Enhancing Early Detection and Quality of Life,” which was moderated by Dr. Hessa Al-Shahin, a member of the Kaan Board of Directors and head of the breast cancer awareness initiative, and attended by a distinguished group of physicians and consultants, that one-third of cancer cases could be eliminated if people avoid risk factors. He stressed that awareness has scientifically proven its ability, in some cases, to achieve what treatment itself cannot.

Dr. Al-Saleh added that risk factors fall into two categories: those that cannot be avoided, such as age and genetics, and those that can be avoided, such as habits, diet, and viruses. He noted that avoiding the four main risk factors reduces incidence by 37 percent, and that World Health Organization studies have identified approximately 30 avoidable causes. He pointed out that smoking is responsible for 80 percent of lung cancer cases, and highlighted that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine led to the disappearance of approximately 90 percent of cervical cancer cases in studies conducted in Asian countries and Sweden.

For her part, Dr. Maha Al-Sindi, an oncology consultant at the Bahrain Cancer Center, stated that approximately half of patients in the Gulf region are diagnosed at an advanced stage, despite the fact that the cure rate in the early stage exceeds 95 percent. She emphasized that cancer appears in the Gulf at least ten years earlier than in Western countries, with an average age at diagnosis of around 45 years. She noted that Kuwait had the highest rate of cancer diagnoses of all types in the Gulf in 2024, ranking second in breast cancer cases after the United Arab Emirates.

From her perspective, Dr. Latifa Al-Kandari, Head of the Diagnostic Radiology Department at Al-Adan Hospital, revealed that the National Early Detection Program for Breast Cancer identified 418 asymptomatic cancer cases among 46,225 tests conducted so far. She added that the number of tests increased from 2,952 in 2014–2015 to 3,945 the following year, and then to 6,091 last year, noting that the number of detected cases reached 26, 57, and 39, respectively.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hessa Al-Shahin, the workshop director, pointed out that the rising number of detected cases in the National Program is positive because it indicates early detection. She affirmed that cancer has become like any other chronic disease, and that comprehensive annual screening is required for women over 40, while self-examination is recommended before that age.