Lung Cancer in the Middle East and North Africa Region

Abstract

Despite being an easily preventable disease, as more than 85% of the cases are caused by smoking, lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer death worldwide since 1987. Especially in developing countries, the incidence of lung cancer is increasing drastically due to the increased use of tobacco products. Many Western countries have managed to control the prevalence of smoking leading to a reduction in lung cancer incidence. However, with a combined population of approximately 360 million in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, up to 46% of the populations continue to smoke and more people are picking up the deadly habit. The challenges in the MENA countries are not just related to the increasing rate of incidence which reflects a failure in primary prevention, but also in the diagnosis and management of the affected patients; especially in lieu of recent advances and availability of more "expensive" management options. In this editorial, we present the status of lung cancer in terms of burden, management patterns, available resources, and challenges in the MENA region. For the purpose of this paper, the MENA region covers countries in the Arab League including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries

Featuring Trends in the Epidemiology of Lung Cancer Following the Publication of the National Cancer Strategy in Qatar

“…In Egypt, where tobacco products are widespread, and approximately 20 billion cigarettes are smoked annually, the ASIR of lung cancer remains low at 7.6 per 100 000 persons. 1 , 11 - 13 Some plausible explanations for this observation are the younger populations in these countries compared to the high lung cancer risk countries, genetic variations, and the inherited susceptibility theory. A fact that supports the theory of genetic and inherited susceptibility is that lung cancer occurs in only a minority of cigarette smokers, even though cigarette smoking is the predominant cause of lung cancer.…”

“…Despite being a preventable disease, as more than 85% of the cases are caused by smoking, the incidence of lung cancer has increased in many countries since 1987 due to the increase in smoking prevalence. 1 Globally, lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death for both sexes combined. It is also the most commonly occurring cancer in men and the third most commonly occurring cancer in women.…”

“… 3 Despite the high prevalence of cigarette and water-pipe smoking in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, a significant challenge is obtaining accurate data about lung cancer incidence due to the lack of comprehensive, up-to-date population registries. 1 In Qatar, tobacco use remains a significant public health concern, with an estimated smoking prevalence of 36.5%. 4 Furthermore, like in many other GCC countries, the water-pipe smoking epidemic is on the rise and is replacing cigarettes as the most popular method of tobacco use, particularly among youths.…”

Lung Cancer in Georgia

“…2 Despite being an easily preventable disease (given that more than 85% of the cases in developing countries are caused by smoking), the incidence of LC is increasing drastically owing to the increased use of tobacco products. 3 In recent years, several publications have addressed the specifics of LC diagnostics and treatment in various parts of the world, but none have addressed the needs of the Georgian population. [3][4][5] We decided to conduct the first study in Georgia to not only evaluate the current LC clinical practice and its flaws but also to delineate future strategies for improving the care of patients with cancer in the country.…”

“…3 In recent years, several publications have addressed the specifics of LC diagnostics and treatment in various parts of the world, but none have addressed the needs of the Georgian population. [3][4][5] We decided to conduct the first study in Georgia to not only evaluate the current LC clinical practice and its flaws but also to delineate future strategies for improving the care of patients with cancer in the country. We convened LC specialists from all over the country to discuss the situation on access to diagnostics and treatment.…”