Abu Dhabi: A total of 50 adults a year in Abu Dhabi are being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, medical experts said.
Poor lifestyle choices being made by the capital's population had greatly increased their risk of developing the disease.
Mafraq Hospital chairman of medicine Emad Rahmani said while CRC — cancer in the colon and rectum — could be hereditary, it was more likely to be caused by the Emirati community's unhealthy lifestyle.
Dr Rahmani said lifestyle factors among Emiratis were likely to raise the incidence of CRC in the UAE to international levels.
"People eat too much processed food and saturated fat," Dr Rahmani said.
"They smoke and indulge in far too little physical activity. Unless residents start making healthier choices, I suspect that not only will the incidence of CRC in Abu Dhabi keep increasing, but its onset will be earlier and earlier with time."
CRC is the third most common cause of death from cancer worldwide.
It currently causes 700,000 deaths around the world each year.
Men over the age of 50 are most at risk of developing the disease.
In the UAE capital, CRC is the third most frequent form of cancer found in men and the fourth most common cancer in women.
Health Authority Abu Dhabi public health manager Dr Salim Adib said early detection was often the key to preventing death from CRC.
"Through timely screening and treatment, CRC can be successfully managed and there is full recovery in 90 per cent of cases," Dr Adib said.
Dr Rahmani also said CRC was one of the most preventable and curable forms of cancer if it was detected early.
In response to this, the Health Authority Abu Dhabi has launched a pilot CRC-screening programme to test Emiratis aged between 50 and 75.
The programme, at the Bani Yas Health Centre, was designed to teach people about the advantages of early CRC detection, and refer those at high risk to the Mafraq Hospital for further treatment options.
"This initiative will help us assess the feasibility and acceptability of the CRC screening on a larger scale, and we can then determine the most effective approach to early diagnosis and treatment," he said.
Risk factors
- A poor diet (high in animal fat and protein, and low in fibre)
- Obesity
- A family history of CRC
- Lack of physical activity
- Men over 50 years at increased risk
Symptoms
- Unexplained pain in abdomen or rectum
- Sudden change in normal bowel habit (like diarrhoea or constipation) without apparent cause, and lasting several weeks
- Blood in stools
- Extreme fatigue
Source: Health Authority Abu Dhabi
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