Epidemiological data will help to establish trends and quality of cancer treatment in the region
The Gulf Federation for Cancer Control (GFFCC), in partnership with various health authorities across the GCC, is calling for a GCC-wide cancer registry with the aim of greatly improving cancer care in the region. The registry will make available an updated vital data that can be used to assess current trends in cancer diagnosis and treatment, and which will help researchers and doctors in their work to develop new treatments for cancer and provide better preventative education. Having a constantly updated registry of this kind is vital, as the last available information dates all the way back to 2005.
Sponsored by Sanofi Oncology in collaboration with Friends Of Cancer Patients (FOCP), an event was held on Friday, January 13 at the Park Hyatt Hotel, Dubai, where representatives of UAE Ministry of Health (MoH), Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD), Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and GFFCC were all in attendance. Entitled ‘Gulf Cancer Registry Challenges and Achievements’, the event brought together representatives of all the cancer centres across the GCC countries and Yemen to plan the implementation of the Registry, which was born out of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in May 2011 between Sanofi and the GFFCC. The three-year agreement establishes a framework of cooperation between Sanofi and the GFFCC in areas related to cancer treatment (oncology) and various activities intended to educate both physicians and patients through targeted support programs. The MoU also covers public outreach and education on the importance of prevention and early detection.
“The registry will contain information such as the age and gender of those diagnosed per year, geographical prevalence, relative frequencies of each type of cancer, the number of deaths per year from cancer, etc,” said Dr. Khaled Al Saleh, General Secretary, Gulf Federation for Cancer Control. “This data can then be used to assess trends of current cancer treatment and describe the length, rate and quality of survival in relation to treatment.”
HE Ameera BinKaram, President of the Board of Trustees and Founding Member of the FoCP stressed the importance of a GCC cancer registry which she said will play an important part in the field of cancer research in the region. She added: “We are proud at FOCP to launch for the first time in the UAE this very vital initiative with the help of Sanofi Oncology and GFFCC which will play a crucial role in registering the trends and assessment of cancer diagnosis. It is important that the UAE is playing a central role in implementing initiatives and creating awareness in the field of cancer research”. She also stressed the importance of continuous collaboration with GFFCC to accelerate the process of establishing the UAE Cancer registry and focusing on efforts to create awareness and support structures for those living and dealing with cancer to a whole new level.
Said Mr. Khalid Majed Lotah, assistant undersecretary for institutional and support services, MoH: “The GCC registry will also provide background for cancer research and assist in the evaluation of therapies, helping to assess the quality of hospital care, the effectiveness of preventive measures adapted to combat cancer, and the educational programs given to professionals and the public.”
“The overall data from the registry will allow for determination of incidence patterns of different types of cancer in a certain country. Further more it will allow for looking trends in incidence for cancer over time in a specific region and will allow for cross comparisons with neighbouring countries and internationally. Such data is vital for the development of tailor made policies and health care programs geared towards improving the care of patients with cancer in the region. This is a huge step forward for cancer care in the region,” said Dr. Shaheenah Dawood ,Consultant Oncologist, DHA.
“Creating a registry such as this is hugely important, as there had not been updated, accurate knowledge of the incidence and prevalence of cancer and cancer-related conditions in the GCC area since 2005,” said Dr. Jalaa A Taher, Section Head
Cancer Control & Prevention, Public Health & Policy – HAAD. “Governmental institutions and private healthcare facilities are not regularly reporting cancer cases and even if they report data are not comprehensive nor accurate. There is a need to create central automated reporting repository at level of each Emirate/State that report to Federal level then Regional level GCC”
“Having a registry such as this will greatly improve our ability to provide the best possible care to our patients,” said Dr.Mohamed Jaloudi, consultant, medical oncology and chairman of Al Tawam Hospital’s oncology/hematology unit.
Within the execution of the MoU, Sanofi Oncology committed to providing educational grants within the GCC, as well as logistical support to facilitate the development, production and publication of the updated cancer registry across the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while the GFFCC committed to liaise with regulatory authorities and governmental institutions to get the endorsement for the cancer registry and publish results in Gulf Journal of Oncology (GJO).
“Sanofi is a diversified global healthcare leader, focused on patients’ needs, and so patients are at the very core of everything we do. We are building on a heritage of more than 50 years of experience helping patients and healthcare professionals in the field of cancer care. Sanofi’s vision is to target cancer on all fronts by working on most of the mechanisms of action involved in the development, growth and spread of cancer,” said George Morcos, General Manager, Sanofi Gulf.
