Colorectal Cancer in the Arab World

Abstract

The recent rapid modernization of life in the Arab region has led to major changes in the lifestyle and attitude of Arab people. This has subsequently resulted in an obvious change in the disease burden profile where the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) exert a huge burden in the region. The main factors that have been attributed to this increase in NCDs are the increased incidence of obesity, physical inactivity, stressful busy life, smoking, and dietary habits. Cancer is among the top NCDs that has increased at an alarming pace in the past ten years in the region. It is projected that there will be a 1.8-fold increase in cancer incidence by 2030 among Arabs. Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is among one of the most common cancers that showed a dramatic increase in annual incidence rate among Arabs. Despite the fact that the figures reported for colorectal cancer among Arabs is lower than that for western countries, the incidence is increasing in this region. Across the cancer continuum, CRC care in the region is up to date as it follows international guidelines from board-certified healthcare providers. The CRC screening system is not well developed and not well accepted by the society due to several religious, cultural, unfamiliarity, and distrust issues. This explains the advanced stage of CRC diagnosis in the region that subsequently leads to unfavorable outcomes. This chapter highlights the incidence of CRC and its clinicopathological parameters with molecular profile and preventive measures in the region.

Early-onset gastrointestinal cancer: An epidemiological reality with great significance and implications

“…Especially for CRC, population screening is particularly low because it is not accepted by local communities due to religious and cultural barriers and a high rate of mistrust regarding the effectiveness of screening. This as mentioned above interprets the advanced stage of CRC at diagnosis which implies an unfavorable outcome[ 58 ]. Some countries, such as Qatar, have begun to implement national healthcare transformation programs with proposals that might be adopted by other Middle Eastern countries.…”

Cancer literacy among Jordanian colorectal cancer survivors and informal carers: Qualitative explorations

“…The first author (SJM), a qualitative female researcher (PharmD), conducted in-person interviews at JUH, a large semigovernment tertiary hospital in Amman, Jordan. The semistructured interview guide was based on an a priori framework and a literature review of CRC survivors' experiences, with an emphasis on cancer-related literacy (1)(2)(3)(30)(31)(32)(33)). An open-ended biographical framework and probing questions were used to better capture patients' complex interactions with healthcare services throughout their journey.…”

“…In Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America, CRC incidence and death have risen rapidly. The Arab population is not an exception; although having lower rates of CRC than western nations, the illness has been growing in Arab nations over the last decade ( 2 ). CRC is Jordan's second most frequent occurring malignancy and the most common among men.…”

Epidemiological insights into colorectal cancer in northwestern Algeria

“…In Africa, the age-standardised rate per 100,000, was 8.4 [ 1 ], which is generally lower than that in other parts of the world, with notable heterogeneity from regional and country-level perspectives [ 2 ]. Data from the Middle East and North Africa show a comparatively rising trend [ 3 ]. CRC has emerged as a growing health concern in Algeria owing to the severity of the disease, as its incidence rate continues to rise.…”

“…CRC is a complex and multifactorial neoplasm that is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, environment and lifestyle [ 5 – 8 ]. Previous studies have shown that the incidence, prevalence and clinical characteristics of CRC vary depending on geographic and demographic factors [ 3 , 9 – 11 ].…”