Health Ministry: 90.1% of registered breast cancer cases in Kuwait are still alive
Kuwait's National Early Detection Program for Breast Cancer revealed rising incidence rates among Kuwaiti women and launched awareness campaigns to promote early diagnosis.
Translated by Qiyas from السياسة — Original source
- The incidence rate stands at 70.1 cases per 100,000 among Kuwaiti women, compared to 45.7 among non-Kuwaiti women.
The Ministry of Health revealed, based on data from the National Early Detection Program for Breast Cancer, that the age-standardized incidence rate reached 70.1 cases per 100,000 among Kuwaiti women, compared to 45.7 cases among non-Kuwaiti women. The percentage of registered cases still alive stands at 90.1%.
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The data showed that the average age at diagnosis was 56 years for Kuwaiti women and 51 years for non-Kuwaiti women. Meanwhile, women under the age of 40 accounted for 8.9% of registered cases among Kuwaiti women and 13.1% among non-Kuwaiti women, highlighting the importance of disease awareness and not ignoring symptoms that warrant medical examination.
This came during an awareness event launched by the Undersecretary for Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, attended by the Undersecretary for Public Health Affairs, Dr. Munder Al-Hasawi, at Jabir Hospital, under the theme "Specialties Integrate... For Her... Together to Enhance Early Detection of Breast Cancer."
Dr. Bathineh Al-Kandari, Chair of the Council of Radiology and Radiotherapy Departments at the Ministry of Health and Head of the Radiology Department at Jabir Hospital, confirmed that the event was organized in collaboration between the Council of Radiology and Radiotherapy Departments and the National Early Detection Program for Breast Diseases, coinciding with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
She explained that the event aims to enhance awareness of the importance of early detection, highlight the role of radiology in detecting and diagnosing breast diseases, and strengthen cooperation among various medical specialties to improve the quality of healthcare.
She added that the event targets medical and technical personnel across various specialties to enhance their role in raising women's awareness, encouraging them to undergo preventive screenings, and directing them to early detection services in accordance with approved medical guidelines.
She noted that the event also seeks to introduce the services of the National Early Detection Program for Breast Diseases and strengthen coordination among health authorities to detect the disease in its early stages, thereby contributing to improved treatment and recovery prospects.
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For her part, Dr. Asma Hussein Al-Filakawi, Head of the Radiology Department at Al-Amiri Hospital and Head of the National Early Detection Program for Breast Cancer, emphasized during an awareness lecture that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women globally, with approximately 2.3 million new cases recorded annually, representing nearly 25% of all cancer cases among women. She pointed out that the age-standardized incidence rate in Kuwait exceeds the global average, according to the data she presented during the lecture.
Dr. Al-Filakawi confirmed that the primary goal of early detection programs is to reduce mortality resulting from the disease and improve treatment outcomes by detecting it in its early stages, when treatment success rates are higher, and the need for extensive surgical interventions and more aggressive treatments may be reduced.
She stressed the importance of detecting tumors before they reach advanced stages to limit the spread of the disease and improve recovery chances, calling for enhanced community awareness regarding the importance of early screening and correcting misconceptions that may lead some women to postpone or neglect screenings.
Dr. Al-Filakawi noted that Kuwait launched the National Early Detection Program for Breast Cancer on April 1, 2014, as part of efforts to enhance early detection and improve treatment outcomes.
She added that by the end of 2015, 12 radiologists and 7 specialized breast imaging technicians had completed a six-month training program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York, with the aim of developing medical and technical competencies in this field.
