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CATHERINE W GICHUKI
DOHA
HAMAD Medical Corporation (HMC) is planning to have a skin cancer awareness day, in order to educate people on skin cancer and encourage them to get screened, an official has said.
Speaking to media persons, the Chairman of Department of Dermatology and Venerology Dr Martin Steinhoff said,"Like in many other countries, we too are planning to have a skin cancer awareness day where people can get screened for the skin. We expect to have the day latest by next year."
He said that in Qatar skin cancer is more common than it is thought to be."We are witnessing steady rise in skin cancer patients in the country and their number seems underestimated," he added.
Steinhoff explained that white skin cancer, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are the most frequent skin cancers in the whole world, although they are a bit lower in countries where there is protection by coverage.
"In the Arab world, white skin cancer is more common than other skin cancers. Melanoma is one of the most aggressive tumors in the world and we see a good number of patients from the region also. We also provide treatment for lymphoma here," he said.
He pointed out further that in the white skin cancer, melanoma UV exposure is a trigger factor, which is known through the number of sunburns especially during childhood.
"There is also the genetic predisposition for that," he said.
Steinhoff added that at HMC they have an inter-disciplinary, diagnostic meeting every Wednesday where they discuss each case of skin cancer."The team includes an oncologist, a radiologist and a pathologist. We also have subspecialty clinic where we monitor the condition of the patient," he said.
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09/03/2018
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