Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) and The Children’s Cancer Centre of Lebanon (CCCL) have joined hands to prevent childhood cancers by awareness-raising about cancer, collaboration, promoting key facts about paediatric oncology symptoms, importance of early detection, diagnoses, treatment and survivorship.

This co-operation comes on the occasion of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month ( September) and emphasising regional networks across borders for childhood cancer control.This is done through sharing the CCCL Bus of Hope film series, produced with the support of UNICEF and Sanofi Espoir, a collection of five simple and engaging short films promoting public awareness about childhood cancer. It is also done by sharing QCS videos to support and empower children living with cancer and social media posts.

Regional collaborations on crucial issues like childhood cancer control are essential to promoting much-needed awareness which helps in early detection, destigmatising cancer, and easing the journey on patients and their families.

The CCCL Bus of Hope films also feature childhood cancer patients, parents, survivors sharing their journey and experiences, alongside animations to convey the facts. The movies are in Arabic with English and French subtitles and suited for audiences of different ages

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) and S’hail Holding Group have signed an agreement under which the latter will provide financial support of QR100,000 annually for three years to treat needy patients.

The agreement was signed by Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Jabor al-Thani, chairman of QCS, and Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ahmed al-Thani, member of the Board of Directors, S’hail Holding Group.

Sheikh Dr. Khalid valued the efforts of S’hai Holding Group in charitable and humanitarian work, especially in the health sector, and supporting the awareness efforts carried out by QCS, especially in supporting the treatment of cancer patients through the high costs of treatment for the disease.

HE. stressed that QCS, since its establishment in 1997, has sought not to have a single patient on the support waiting list. QCS has spent over QR19.5mn to treat about 1,317 patients and in the first quarter of 2021 has spent  over  QR 3.5 mn to treat about 981 patients In the National Center for Cancer Care and Research and Sidra Medical Center,

 

QATAR Cancer Society (QCS) has launched “It’s all about prevention “campaign to raise awareness of colorectal cancer, which  is  the  second common cancer between both genders, first common cancer across men, and third common cancer across females in Qatar.- according to Qatar National Cancer Registry (QNCR) – Ministry of Public Health – 2016:

Dr. Hadi Mohamad Abu Rasheed – Acting Head of Professional Development and Scientific Research Department at QCS, said: More than 150 cases were diagnosed with colon cancer in Qatar, 67% of the cases in Qatar were males and 33% were females, 74% of the cases were Non-Qatari, while 26% were Qatari, 69.9% of colon cancer patients have the chance to survive four years later after getting diagnosed, noted that 55-59 years old was the highest age group with cancer incidences, in both genders. According to Qatar National Cancer Registry (QNCR) – Ministry of Public Health – 2016:

Heba Nassar – Head  Educator ae QCS, said, “This campaign aims to raise awareness about colorectal cancer, which is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the colon or the rectum. Most colorectal cancers begin as a polyp on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. Some types of polyps can transform into cancer for several years, but not all polyps become cancer.”

The campaign included many events and virtual workshops that were launched on the media platforms, many entities participated in it, most notably the National Cancer Program, the Ministry of Public  Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, and the Primary Health Care Corporation, as well as cooperation with many experts and specialists as Mrs. Khawla Al-Bahr – public health expert, Mrs. Dana Hassan-  therapeutic nutrition specialist and Dr. Michael Mallat (Gastrointestinal specialist diseases), as well as the participation of people living with cancer in awareness workshops, and publishing their survival stories on various platforms. She added.

The campaign also witnessed the launch “It’s all about prevention “challenge by encouraging employees to prepare a healthy lunchbox during working hours and taking a picture for three healthy boxes then sharing them on QCS’ social media; the winners are the employees of  QATAR LUXURY COMPANY WLL, Lulu hypermarket, Al Asmakh Real Estate Development Company, S’hail Holding Group.

She stressed the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle to prevent cancer, the most important of which is an exercise through getting 30  minutes of aerobic activity every day; limit your consumption of red meat. Studies show that bowel cancer risk is 17-30 % percent higher if a person eats 100-120g of red meat every day. Decrease portions or choose chicken or fish instead,” She said .”Besides, eat more fruits and vegetables.”

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) has concluded the ‘I am and I will’ campaign, which continued throughout February on the occasion of the World Cancer Day and saw several events, awareness competitions and virtual workshops being held to raise awareness of cancer, methods of prevention and the importance of early detection.The campaign, launched under the umbrella of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in which the QCS is a member, included many events and activities, most notably a motorbike event at Lusail in co-operation with Qatar Motorcycle Center (Batabit) and MAWATER Center. In addition, a virtual walking challenge and short story and educational video competitions for school and universities students were also part of the campaign. Within the framework of the preventive measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the campaign was launched on various media and electronic platforms.

Several awareness videos for the campaign were produced with the participation of media figure Abdulrahman Al Ashqar. Virtual awareness workshops about cancer and on healthy lifestyles were also held. Electronic awareness brochures were produced in all main languages to benefit as many people as possible. Even coffee cups in cafes and restaurants were used to spread awareness message.
A virtual workshop for capacity building of cancer awareness promoters was also held as part of the events. The QCS participated in a virtual seminar on World Cancer Day in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health’s National Cancer Programme, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation and Sidra Medicine.An awareness workshop was organised on how to overcome the fears during the treatment period and beyond for people living with breast cancer, in addition to publishing stories of hope on many platforms and involving cancer survivors in virtual workshops.Many institutions and companies in Qatar participated in the World Cancer Day campaign, including Ooredoo, QTerminals, Talabat, FMM, Triple Two, the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam), Qatar Aluminum and Doha Film Institute.The campaign also included roadside advertisements supported by Elan Qatar WLL and lighting up of Qatar’s landmarks in pink to mark the World Cancer Day, in cooperation with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal).As part of the campaign, Talabat donated one riyal to QCS for all orders placed via its mobile application, Ooredoo enabled its customers to donate Nojoom points to QCS, while Yalla Toys participated in the campaign by offering 100 electronic gift vouchers for children with cancer.

 

Aamal Company (Aamal), one of Qatar’s leading diversified companies, and Qatar Cancer Society (QCS), a charitable association that focuses on implementing awareness and prevention programmes aimed at raising awareness about cancer among the community and healthcare employees, have signed a co-operation agreement.

The agreement will see Aamal provide financial support to QCS to help support cancer treatment for patients who cannot afford it otherwise and see Aamal work with QCS to prevent cancer, develop early detection processes, and support and empower those fighting cancer, according to a press statement.

The agreement to raise cancer awareness in the community and support fighting it as much as possible in order to mitigate its effects and prevent it was signed by HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, chairman of Aamal; and HE Dr Sheikh Khaled bin Jabor al-Thani, chairman of QCS.

HE Sheikh Faisal said, “It gives me great pleasure to witness this agreement with Qatar Cancer Society, such an important national institution specialised in spreading awareness of cancer, and a great support for those who are fighting it. QCS is well known in our society for its professional development programme and scientific research. We hope this co-operation will be the beginning of a productive and sustainable relationship for all parties.

“Aamal is always keen to play an active part in society, supporting our mission of seeking a better society, investing in human capital and developing scientific research and innovative methods in all fields.”

“At Aamal, we appreciate the important role played by QCS through awareness programmes that are transparent and have a clear value in increasing cancer awareness across the entire community, especially through the QCS educational centre, which is the first of its kind in the region. We are also very aware of the importance of partnerships between various sectors in our society in order to prominently position Qatar globally in the field of cancer prevention and mitigation, strengthening the role of the private sector in supporting the private sector’s social responsibility and delivering its message based on the health and safety of individuals,” he added.

HE Sheikh Faisal also affirmed Aamal’s willingness to continue this productive relationship with QCS in a way that contributes to the education of the community about cancer and empowers people to survive it. Aamal also aims to ensure that all important programmes reach all groups of the community through building its long-term relationship with QCS.

HE Dr Sheikh Khaled expressed gratitude to Aamal and HE Sheikh Faisal for their efforts to benefit society, especially in supporting cancer patients, and his wish that all institutions join hands to reduce the burden of this disease and its high treatment costs, indicating that the partnership between both parties will strengthen the concerted continuous efforts to combat cancer.

HE Dr Sheikh Khaled also indicated that the co-operation agreement between Aamal and QCS comes from their roles in serving society and that “this effective partnership to achieve goals and unite efforts for the benefit of all members of society is considered our top priority of our strategies and efforts towards achieving Qatar National Vision 2030”.

The chairman of QCS considers this co-operation to be an important base for a strong future partnership that contributes to achieving QCS’s vision and mission to become the community’s partnerships’ platform that leads Qatar forward in cancer prevention and the mitigation of its effects, through working with partners to raise community awareness, support and empower patients, and enable professional development and cancer research, with the objective that this co-operation will continue in the interest of the society and the nation.

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) Concluded “You can do it “campaign to raise awareness about the most common cancers among men especially prostate   cancer which is the third most common cancers in Qatar according to Qatar National Registry (QNCR) – Ministry of Public Health 2016.

QCS charity has launched “you can do it ” awareness campaign via its electronic platforms Within the framework of the preventive measures to limit the spread of Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) , by broadcasting awareness messages and videos related to men’s health and the most common cancer between them especially prostate cancer  , in addition several virtual workshops have been launched targeting many institutions, ministries, hotels, schools, universities, and health institutions , and an awareness workshop for QCS’s employees through “Your Health in Your Hand” program .

Many institutions and agencies in Qatar participated in the campaign that aims to raise public awareness of men’s health especially prostate cancer, ways to prevent it and the importance of early detection of prostate cancer especially that about 1 man in 9 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime (American Cancer Society 2020) , the second most common cancer in men worldwide (World Cancer Research Fund, 2018,   and the third most common cancers in Qatar according to Qatar National Registry (QNCR) – Ministry of Public Health 2016.

 

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) successfully concluded its breast cancer awareness activities, held under the theme ‘Blossom’. This came as part of marking October as the International Month of Breast Cancer.
The campaign targeted all segments of the society to raise the awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection.
In all, 75 virtual activities were organised targeting educational institutions such as schools and universities, as well as ministries, banks, private companies and hotels.
The campaign witnessed honouring the winners of the ‘Blossom Challenge’ competition, who were able to lose weight by adapting a healthy diet. The competition targeted 40 women of different ages, in cooperation with the Perf Up Center, and they were given vouchers and luxury watches sponsored by Marhaba Jewellery.
As many as 37 students from a number of schools in Qatar, including 20 students from the MES School, participated in the campaign.
About 400 ultrasound breast examinations were provided free of cost in cooperation with Naseem Al Rabeeh Medical Center to encourage early detection.

QCS also tied up several institutions, such as Aspire and the Qatar Triathlon Federation, in their efforts to organise breast cancer awareness events.
Many sponsors supported QCS’ Blossom campaign, including Talabat and Fingertips. Spar Qatar donated one riyal on the purchase of some of their products while Lulu Hypermarket allocated a percentage of the sales of more than 500 items to QCS. Kholoud Pharmacies donated 5 percent of the sales amount on some of the pink products at its 22 branches. Qatar Airways organised a donation campaign through a charity bazaar on its website, while Ooredoo enabled donations to QCS campaign through Nojoom points.
Many Doha landmarks also joined the ‘Blossom’ campaign by lighting themselves up in pink, such as Al Shola Hotel, Msheireb City by Msheireb Properties and Ras Abu Aboud Street by Ashghal.

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) has received a kind donation from Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. the exclusive agent for Nissan in Qatar, a Nissan X-Trail vehicle to support the campaigns  and awareness efforts led by the Society to raise  public awareness on cancer, ways to prevent it, and importance of early detection.

Dr. Dera Al Dosari, Director of Resources Development Department at QCS, thanked Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. for the kind gesture of supporting the Society in the field of cancer awareness, stressing the importance of the joint efforts to serve the community and fight cancer, and in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 to focus on the human factor and invest in human health.

He affirmed that QCS will continue its efforts towards achieving its vision in the community by making Qatar a leader in cancer prevention and control, as well as its mission to achieve these goals through working with partners such as Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. to spread awareness in the community and support, empower, and advocate for individuals living with cancer. He added that during the last interval, QCS witnessed a remarkable development and became one of the pioneering institutions in this field under the leadership of Dr. Khalid Bin Jabr Al Thani, who is doing his best towards constant improvement.

Commenting on this occasion, Mr. Nassim Mourani, General Manager – Automotive Group at Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. said, “Social responsibility is one of our core values and our way to give back to our community. This partnership with Qatar Cancer Society reiterates this commitment and Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. will continue to support such initiatives that reflects our brand identity and ethos.”

Both organizations wished that all companies in Qatar to join hands to spread awareness about cancer and provide support to people living with the disease.

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) concluded  “Protect Yourself” campaign to raise awareness of liver cancer that is the 7th highest cancer among both genders in Qatar and among all cancer death, liver cancer is the 2nd highest cancer among both genders. , according to Qatar National Cancer registry 2016 – the Ministry of Public Health  .The electronic campaign targeted workers who are among the groups most exposed to the risk factors causing this type of cancer by broadcasting educational videos in different languages, which are “Arabic, English, Urdu and Malayalam”, to target the largest possible number of audiences make them aware of disease, signs, warning symptoms, methods of prevention and early detection,Mr. Khalifa Haroun, social media influencer, participated in the campaign, who contributed to the campaign’s awareness role through his accounts on social media.

Mrs. Heba Nassar – Head of the Health Education Department at QCS  said –  the charity has launched this campaign via its electronic platforms  Within the framework of the preventive measures to limit the spread of Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) , with the participation of a number of entities, including the Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar Red Crescent, Syrian American Medical Center, Mowasalat

She stressed the importance of early detection of the disease and it is often hard to find liver cancer early because signs and symptoms often do not appear at an early stage. So, you should check with your doctor in a regular manner.

 The way of Prevention Summarized in avoid smoking ,avoid alcohol consumption , maintain healthy body weight , be physically active (exercise for at least 30 min/day, 5 days/week) , prevent infection with hepatitis B&C , get regular medical checkup , avoid breathing in or touching toxic chemicals. She added.

Qatar Cancer Society (QCS ) jointly with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) organized the first online continuous professional development webinar about the Suspected Lung Cancer Referral Guidelines on a Qatari Digital Platform – MasterBadge MEET, which targeted 200 primary healthcare providers, nurses, and the allied health practitioners from both the governmental and private health sector.

Dr. Hadi  Abu Rasheed – Head of Professional Development and Scientific Research Department  at  Qatar cancer society   said “ This CPD Activity is a Category 1 – Accredited Group Learning Activity as defined by the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners – Accreditation Department and is approved for a maximum of 1.5 hours.

Based on the strategic partnership with the Hamad Medical Corporation and the ongoing support provided by HMC to QCS, the communication team at the Hamad Medical Corporation will promote the activities of the continuous medical education of QCS in the digital platforms and newsletters of HMC to increase the opportunities for HMC’s medical staff to benefit from the QCS’ continuing medical education programs. He added.

Dr Abu Rashid pointed to the charity’s constant eagerness to organize nationally and internationally accredited professional development and continuing medical education programs for healthcare, health education and communication, patient support, and health behavioural research workforce, prepare and distribute cancer statistics updates ,develop strategies to analyse and evaluate the efficiency of Qatar Cancer Society activities , coordinate conducting Cancer health behavioural research in collaboration with health and academic entities and distribute cancer updates for health workforce

Dr. Mohammed Ussama Al Homsi- Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology and Deputy Medical Director of Clinical Education, Research, and Quality at The National Center for Cancer Care and Research – said “We are always grateful to work in partnership with QCS  their support enables us to ensure we reach across the healthcare providers in Qatar in the interests of the whole population.

This symposium supports the continuing path to providing excellence in cancer care in the county”.

Best investment is in early detection and prevention as World Health Organization studies showed that between 30–50% of cancers can be prevented by avoiding risk factors and implementing evidence-based prevention strategies and many cancers have a high chance of cure if diagnosed early.he added .

He continued saying  that Qatar National Cancer Program did a survey in May 2016 showed that 68% of health experts in Qatar recommended that future investment should be placed in capacity building of the primary healthcare providers and the community health workforce .

Explaining that National Cancer Program recommended that this could be supported by existing programs, such as those run by the Qatar Cancer Society

Dr. Reyad Mohsen – Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology at The National Center for Cancer Care and Research – Chair of the Thoracic Cancers National Clinical Advisory Group – Ministry of Public Health – said this CPD aims to provide the participants practical knowledge about lung cancers early signs and symptoms to determine when a patient should be referred as a suspected case, the accurate referral and follow up pathways for the suspected lung cancer cases, and the needed initial diagnostic and management approach to be done for suspected lung cancer cases at the level of primary care.

Also, the latest lung cancer statistics globally and locally were presented during the workshop.

He presented during the symposium the latest statistics of lung cancer according to Qatar National Cancer Registry (QNCR) – Ministry of Public Health – 2016 that Lung cancer is the ninth most commonly diagnosed cancer  in Qatar in 2016 and same year Lung cancer is the first causing-death cancer and survival rate from 2013 till 2016 is 24.24%  which means that 24.24% of lung cancer patients stayed alive  from 2013 to 2016.