Tawam Hospital now offers lung cancer screening; a first for the UAE

Tawam Hospital, in affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine and the SEHA healthcare system is now offering the first lung cancer screening in Abu Dhabi and in the UAE. The programme includes a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer diagnostic screening at its Thoracic Surgery clinic and aims to improve early detection and reduce the risk of lung cancer mortality - the first time such an initiative was put in place for the disease.

Within the programme, a patients risk factors will be assessed by the physician and may be asked to undergo a screening using a low-dose CT machine followed by a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation.

Systematic reviews published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that LDCT screening can reduce lung cancer mortality therefore saving lives and it is also cost-effective. Well-known international cancer associations and preventive medical task forces have also endorsed the use of LDCT screening.

There were 101 cases of lung cancer reported in Abu Dhabi with most patients being male and over 50 years old. Lung cancer is also the leading cause of cancer death among UAE male nationals. In fact, 89.2% of Abu Dhabi patients diagnosed with lung cancer found that they had stage three or four cancer at the time of diagnosis, making it more challenging to eliminate the cancerous cells.

Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer worldwide and is a grave issue for the UAE population. The disease is in dire need of being addressed with a solid plan of action. Our screening facility is the first of its kind in the country to screen specifically for lung cancer. This shows our hospital staffs determination in preventing, detecting and reducing the likelihood of lung cancer, said Dr Ali Omar Al Dameh, Thoracic Surgery Consultant.

Lung cancer is the growth of malignant cells in the airway passage or bronchi and normally associated with smoking. There are two types of lung cancer: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) which accounts for 20% of lung cancer and has more possibility in spreading to other organs; and, Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which is the most common and accounts for 80% of lung cancer cases.

The risk factors of lung cancer include smoking, air pollution, exposure to toxic chemical substances, bronchitis, family history of lung cancer, previous history of lung cancer and age which is mainly 50 years and above. In order to avoid lung cancer, the public is encouraged to stop smoking and avoid exposure to smoking and air pollution.

Tawam Hospital is part of the SEHA Health System owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.