Oman Cancer Incidence Second Highest Among Gulf States

Oman has the second highest incidence of cancers among the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to a newly released report issued by a research centre set up by the GCC Health Ministers Council. The report, titled ‘Eight-Year Cancer Incidence Among Nationals of the GCC States’, was based on a landmark study conducted by the Gulf Centre for Cancer Registration (GCCR). The Riyadh-based facility was instituted by the GCC Health Ministers Council to create a reliable database for cancer incidence in the Gulf states.

The eight-year, covering the period from 1998 to 2005, is the first definitive study that documents cancer trends across the GCC. Dr Taufiq A M Khoja, Director General of the Executive Board of the GCC Health Ministers Council, described the report as key to providing clarity on the breadth of the cancer scourge in the Gulf. It is also aimed at helping health planners make informed decisions to minimize the devastating outcomes of cancers, which are largely preventable if adequate and appropriate measures are taken at the right time, Dr Khoja noted.

Of the 71,882 newly diagnosed cancer cases reported by the six GCC National Cancer Registries between January 1998 and December 2005, the Sultanate of Oman accounted for 7,938 cases (11 per cent). Saudi Arabia held the top spot with a whopping 71.8 per cent (51,587 cases) of the total. Kuwait was placed third with 7.1 per cent, followed by Bahrain (4.6 per cent), UAE (3.5 per cent) and Qatar (1.9 per cent). Of all the malignancies recorded in the Gulf region, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) was the commonest accounting for 8.9 per cent of the total incidence among males, followed by colorectal cancer, leukemia, lung and liver cancers.

In females, breast cancer was the commonest scourge accounting for 32.2 per cent of the total cases, followed by thyroid cancer, colorectal, NHL and leukemia. Breast cancer topped the list of common cancers in the GCC states, accounting for 11.6 per cent (8,347 cases) of the total. Bahrain reported the highest incidence with 53.4 cases per 100,000 women, followed by Qatar (48.2), Kuwait (46.6), UAE (22.8), Oman (17.5) and Saudi Arabia (14.8). The second most common affliction is colorectal cancer, accounting for 7.5 per cent of the GCC total. Qatar led the field with an incidence of 16.1 cases per 100,000 population among males, followed by Kuwait (15.2), Bahrain 14.3), UAE (7.1), Saudi Arabia (6.4) and Oman (5.3).

Ranked third on the list of common cancers in the GCC was Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) with 7.5 per cent of the total cases. Qatar reported the highest incidence among males and females, followed by Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Leukemia accounted for 7.8 per cent (4,913 cases) of the cancer total. The highest incidence was found among men in Bahrain and among women in Qatar. Lymphoid leukemia was more common in males, while myeloid leukemia was more common in females.

Oman led the league tables in stomach cancer with the highest Age Standard Rate of 12.1 per 100,000 for males and 6.2 per 100,000 for females. Bahrain was ranked second while Saudi Arabia reported the lowest incidence among males and females. In the case of cervical cancer, Oman was placed second after Qatar with an incidence of 7.8 per population of 100,000 women. Other malignancies figuring among the top 10 cancers in the Gulf states were prostrate and ovarian cancer.