Abu Dhabi: Lung cancer might be the leading cause of death due to cancer worldwide but in the UAE it kills fewer people than leukaemia, and breast, lymphatic and colorectal cancer, (CRC), a leading doctor in the capital said.

However, changes in the community's lifestyle were causing a gradual increase in the prevalence of lung cancer in the country, Dr Emad Rahmani, Mafraq Hospital chair of medicine and chief of the gastroenterology and hepatology divisions, told Gulf News.

"Although lung cancer is not very common yet, if people are not careful, its incidence is very likely to increase," Dr Rahmani said. Dr Rahmani recently performed the first endoscopic removal of gastric cancer in the Middle East.

He said the incidence of cancer always depended on various genetic and environmental factors.

"For instance, gastric cancer, which kills the second most number of people around the world, is uncommon in the UAE because of the high levels of sanitation and hygiene here," he said.

"Similarly, skin cancer is uncommon because the clothing in the region protects people from the harmful effects of the sun. In addition, people here are darker skinned, which gives them higher tolerance to sun exposure than the fairer skinned people in the West." Dr Rahmani warned that people's unhealthy lifestyles were likely to increase the incidence of some cancers with time, including lung cancer and CRC. "Except for CRC, it is impossible to detect a cancer before it becomes malignant and later stages always require advanced surgery," Dr Rahmani said.

"So people should remember simply maintain a balanced diet, avoid bad habits like smoking and drinking, and get regular physical exercise to avoid susceptibility to these deadly diseases. There are no substitutes for healthy living, just as multivitamin tablets are never a substitute to eating fresh fruits and vegetables."

Prevalence: Cancers in the UAE

  • Most deadly: Breast cancer, lymphatic cancer, blood cancer and colorectal cancer
  • Increasing risk: Lung cancer
  • Decreasing risk: Gastric cancer Most deadly cancers in the US: Lung cancer, prostate cancer (men) and breast cancer (women), colorectal cancer

— Source: Dr Emad Rahmani, chair of medicine at Mafraq Hospital