WCM-Q research highlights Qatar's path to ‘global health excellence' in cancer care and research
The report, published in the leading UK medical journal Lancet Oncology, notes the remarkable success of Qatar's investments in advanced clinical and research infrastructure, cutting-edge technologies, and recruitment of highly skilled healthcare professionals over the past two decades, which have transformed the country into a regional leader in cancer care.
Areas of particular strength in Qatar's system of cancer care - which has been shaped by the National Cancer Strategy (2010) and the Qatar Cancer Plan (2023-26) - include special expertise in precision and personalized medicine, early detection (based on well-developed screening facilities and schedules), and robustly evidence-based cancer management following diagnosis, leading to improved survival rates.
The research, titled 'Qatar national cancer care and research: pioneering strategies for global health excellence,' also highlights areas where some challenges still exist, including late-stage diagnosis, low health literacy relating to cancer among some demographic groups in Qatar, and data collection and long-term analysis. WCM-Q's Dr. Lotfi Chouchane, professor of genetic medicine and professor of microbiology and immunology, is the senior author of the paper. The report, and a subsequent paper also published in Lancet Oncology, additionally highlights the potential for establishing beneficial regional and global collaborations on cancer care and research, particularly with Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
This subsequent paper, titled 'Bridging borders for resilience in cancer control in the Middle East: a strategic alliance of Saudia Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan' also provides an epidemiological breakdown of patterns of cancer burden in the three countries. Dr. Murugan Subramanian, senior research associate, is a co-first author of the paper, with Dr. Chouchane serving as a co-senior author. Other researchers who contributed include Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani, director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health and Associate Professor of Clinical Healthcare Policy and Research at WCM-Q and Qatar University; Dr. Salha Bujassoum, Senior Consultant at the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research; Dr. Khalid Rashid Al-Rumaihi, Head of the Department of Urology at Hamad Medical Corporation; and Dr. Hilal Lashuel, Research Development and Innovation Advisor to the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and Executive Director of RDI at the Chairperson's Office.
Dr. Chouchane said: 'This research shows very clearly that the past two decades have been a huge success story for Qatar in its efforts to establish a truly world-class cancer care and innovation infrastructure. Looking ahead, we identified some challenges to overcome in the areas of community health literacy; cultural sensitivities surrounding important cancer-prevention measures; language barriers; data collection, digitization and long-term analysis; issues around healthcare equity; and the growing global challenge of unhealthy lifestyle choices, which can increase cancer risk.
'We can see, however, that Qatar is already taking steps to address many of these challenges, as is shown by the Qatar Cancer Plan 2023-26, developed by the Ministry of Public Health and the National Cancer Governance Board. One measure we in the healthcare sector advocate is to work closely with like-minded countries in the region - such as Saudi Arabia and Jordan - to share experiences, expertise and datasets, which has the potential to be of huge benefit to the cancer care and research strategies of all participating countries.'
The research also draws attention to Qatar's efforts to prioritize the integration of cutting-edge precision and personalized medicine protocols into clinical practice - a measure which is already having a significant positive impact on survival rates. Indeed, research by Dr. Chouchane's lab at WCM-Q has been at the forefront of precision medicine approaches to cancer care. He added: 'Precision medicine is one of the most promising areas for cancer research and enhanced patient outcomes, but a limiting factor is that it is dependent on good-quality genomic data matched with good-quality clinical data. Therefore, sharing genomic and clinical data with healthcare systems in neighboring countries who have populations with similar ethnic backgrounds could provide a dramatic boost for precision oncology in the region.'
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