Qatar puts the health of the entire community on top of its priorities. The healthcare system in Qatar is marked by its focus on the quality of services provided to people and meeting their needs in the best way possible.
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths. Qatar has one of the highest cancer survival rates in the world. The country’s unwavering commitment to cutting-edge research, innovative treatments and comprehensive healthcare strategies has yielded substantial progress in the battle against cancer.
The commitment to research-driven interventions and patient-centric care has led to a commendable rise in survival rates across various cancer types. The three-year survival rate surged from 65.6% in 2018 to 89.3% in 2020. Similarly, the five-year survival rate has experienced a substantial boost, rising from 59.7% in 2016 to an encouraging 80.2% in 2020. The kidney cancer survival rate in Qatar has touched a remarkable level of 60 percent because of high standards of diagnosis and treatment methods. Breast cancer survival rate among women is 88% and nearly 82% for colorectal cancer.
The country has taken several measures in fight against cancer. The MoPH launched Qatar’s first guide to cancer care services in April last year to make it easier for people to access care services, navigate the healthcare system and have a smooth experience throughout their treatment journey.
The HMC commenced nuclear treatment of tumors following the opening of the first Radiopharmaceutical Laboratory in Qatar in February last year. The new laboratory, located at HMC’s National Centre for Cancer Care and Research, provides cancer patients with diagnostic and therapeutic care locally, saving these patients the need to travel abroad for this type of care.
Treatment of cancer at the HMC oncology department is free for all residents. According to the department’s statistics, the proportion of Qataris receiving treatment abroad has decreased significantly during the past years, and many are willing to receive treatment in Qatar.
Qatar has unveiled plans to establish a state-of-the-art comprehensive cancer centre. The new cancer centre will provide cancer care to citizens, residents, and patients from overseas who wish to have their cancer treatment in Qatar.
A total of 1,960 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Qatar during 2018. The most common cancer among all nationalities was breast cancer, accounting for 16.58% of all cancer cases, followed by colorectal cancer at 9.44%. Thyroid cancer was the third most common cancer, at 6.33% of all cancer cases.
