Staff Writer
Due to rigorous criteria for diagnosis and treatment, the survival rate for kidney cancer in Qatar has impressively reached 60%.
Dr. Abdul Rehman Zar Gul, a senior consultant at the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), claims that the survival rate is also higher than in other nations.
A serious medical problem that affects a large number of people globally, including those in Qatar, is kidney cancer. Although it is less common than in other nations, kidney cancer has been on the rise in Qatar over the years and is now one of the main causes of cancer-related fatalities in the nation.
Kidney cancer, according to Dr. Zar Gul, is a major public health issue in Qatar and many other nations. Although, with many patients in Qatar may beat this illness with the right diagnosis and care, and they can go on to live happy, healthy lives.
Kidney cancer is the seventh most prevalent cancer in men and the eleventh most common in women in Qatar, according to data from the Qatar National Cancer Registry (QNCR). In Qatar, there were 5.6 kidney cancer cases per 100,000 persons between 2011 and 2015.
“This rate is relatively low compared to other countries, such as the United States, where the incidence rate is around 15 cases per 100,000 people,” Dr. Zar Gul stated in the NCCCR periodical News and Views.
Similar to other nations, medical practitioners in Qatar also use imaging tests including CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds to diagnose kidney cancer.
The multidisciplinary team of urological consultants deliberates the situations and makes management decisions.
“Several factors, including the stage of the cancer, the size and location of the tumor, and the patient’s general health, affect the treatment options for kidney cancer in Qatar. Surgery, such as radical or partial nephrectomy, is one of the conventional treatments for kidney cancer, according to Dr. Zar Gul.
In Qatar, surgery is frequently the primary course of treatment for kidney cancer, and either the entire kidney or just the tumor is removed. Additional surgeries may be required to remove the damaged tissues if the cancer has progressed to other organs, he said.
High-energy beams are used in radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells and reduce tumor size. However, it is not frequently utilized as a main kidney therapy renal cancer due to the kidneys’ radioresistance. Although chemotherapy is a different cancer treatment option, it is not very successful in treating kidney cancer. In advanced and metastatic instances, however, targeted therapies like TKI and immunotherapy can successfully control the illness.
The prognosis for kidney cancer patients in Qatar is typically positive, particularly when medical professionals detect and treat the disease early. More than in other nations, Qatar has a survival rate for kidney cancer of about 60%. However, this rate drastically decreases in individuals with advanced or metastatic kidney cancer, according to Dr. Zar Gul.
Additionally, he counseled people to lead a healthy lifestyle and give up smoking in order to help avoid kidney cancer and detect it early if it does arise.
