A national lung cancer campaign has been launched to encourage smokers and others to recognise the early signs and symptoms of the disease.
Emirates Oncology Society has partnered with drug makers AstraZeneca to roll-out the ‘Hope over fear’ messaging project.
It aims to to encourage more at-risk people to volunteer for screening, as 80 per cent of cases are seen by doctors at a later stage, leading to worse outcomes and early death.
Professor Humaid Al Shamsi, oncologist and president of Emirates Oncology Society, said the number of people seen by doctors in an advanced stage of lung cancer is far too high.
"The purpose of this campaign is so more people can be diagnosed in earlier stages where they have a greater potential to be treated successfully
Salim Mohammad Bin Lahij ,
DHA
“We need this number to reduce by encouraging people to get screened earlier through increased awareness,” he said.
“If you are a smoker, or have smoked for 10 years or more, you should visit your doctor and request a chest CT scan.
“Lung cancer is extremely curable if diagnosed in its early stages.”
Lung cancer accounts for one in 10 UAE cancer deaths
Lung cancer was the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the Emirates in 2020, at 4.7 per cent, according to World Health Organisation figures.
However, it had the second highest mortality rate among all cancers in the country last year, accounting for 9.9 per cent of deaths.
The disease has the highest death rate of all cancers globally, WHO states.
Although it is possible to be diagnosed with lung cancer as a non-smoker, the habit remains the primary cause of the disease.
The public awareness campaign follows the development of local referral and screening guidelines for lung cancer, to help healthcare professionals identify the disease early.
The initiative will run until the end of the year and include radio advertising, as well as outdoor and social media advertising to raise public awareness.
According to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, about 90 per cent of lung cancer cases globally are linked to smoking.
Figures from the World Health Organisation show smoking stubbornly remains a popular habit in adults across the region.
In the UAE, 37 per cent of adult men smoke, the same number as in Kuwait and Bahrain, with 25 per cent in Saudi Arabia.
UAE leads fight against disease
The awareness campaign is the latest effort by health authorities to drive down lung cancer cases.
In June, the UAE became only the second country in the world to approve the use of a key lung cancer drug.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention licensed Lumakras following its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.
This will give lung cancer patients in the UAE early access to the drug to help speed up their treatment and improve the quality of their life.
Lumakras is a tablet prescribed to adult patients who have received at least one previous cancer therapy.
It targets non-small cell lung cancer, in which tumours have a specific type of genetic mutation, called Kras G12C.
Up to 85 per cent of lung cancers are non-small cell, while metastatic means the cancer has spread.
In a study of the drug's effectiveness on 124 patients, 36 per cent saw their tumours shrink or disappear.
Campaign a 'step forward'
Salim Mohammad Bin Lahij from Dubai Health Authority said the campaign aims to improve survival rates.
“This campaign is much needed step forward for lung cancer patients,” he said.
“The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness about lung cancer so that more people can be diagnosed in earlier stages where they have a greater potential to be treated successfully.”
Symptoms of the disease can include a persistent cough lasting two to three weeks, hard to shift chest infections, coughing up blood, breathlessness and fatigue.
Dr Prasanta Kumar Dash, an oncologist at Canadian Specialist Hospital in Dubai, said early detection was important for all cancers, but particularly lung cancer.
“If we detect lung cancer in an early stage then it is curable,” he said.
“People may be reluctant to take part in screening tests because they believe they are at low risk for cancer.
“A lack of time or proper knowledge about screening may be another reason for unwillingness to get checked, while some people are worried about radiation exposure due to CT scans.
“Early lung cancers generally don’t manifest any clinical symptoms so it is important to do screening tests annually, particularly in high risk populations.”
Anyone concerned about the disease can call 800LUNG to learn more about lung cancer risk factors, early signs and symptoms, and the criteria for those who should opt for annual screening.
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5