Lung cancer is not among the five most common cancers in Abu Dhabi, but it has claimed the maximum fatalities. So the move to routinely screen high-risk individuals — people who have smoked a pack of cigarettes for 30 years and are over 55 years of age — for lung cancer was only a logical measure
The announcement by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health is line with the American protocol that recommends annual screening of all individuals in the high-risk category. The screening involves low-dose CT scans to identify early stage cancer and also covers current smokers as well as those who have quit within the past 15 years. Most health experts agree that smoking is the biggest risk factor for the disease and a very high number of lung cancer patients — roughly 85 per cent — have a history of smoking. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes a person smokes and the length of time, and it increases as people get older. In most cases, the disease strikes at people above 55 years. Some studies have shown that an early diagnosis may improve prognosis as in almost 90 per cent of cases, the diseases is discovered late and the survival is rare. In that sense, the proposed annual screening in Abu Dhabi is encouraging and other emirates should follow suit.
The UAE last year imposed a 100 per cent tax on tobacco products, but its impact on smoking habits is unclear. According to some estimates, up to 30 per cent of adults smoke some kind of tobacco product. The screenings are therefore a significant step towards preventive healthcare and may lead to early diagnosis and treatment.
