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Lung cancer among top 5 fatal diseases in UAE

Dubai - 168 residents diagnosed last year, say experts,

A leading cause of death worldwide, lung cancer ranks among the top five killers in the UAE, said experts on Tuesday. A total of 168 patients were diagnosed with the fatal disease in 2015 in the UAE said the experts while acknowledging World Cancer Day and with the aim of raising awareness on the topic in the UAE. "The early symptoms of lung cancer are non-specific and as a consequence the majority of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, making treatment difficult and survival outcomes poor," said Dr Aref Chehal, Medical Oncology Consultant at Mafraq Hospital, Abu Dhabi, while speaking at the session arranged by Roche Media Academy on "Lung Cancer: A Preventable Disease?" "We often receive cases, where the patients have delayed diagnosis due to lack of knowledge on the symptoms and low awareness about the risk factors of the disease," he said.Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General, Friends of Cancer Patients, said, "Creating awareness about the various types of cancer affecting our society is an integral part of curbing the disease's implications in the UAE." Treatment options vary depending on the type and stage of the cancer in addition to its size, location in the lung, whether it has spread toother parts of the body or not and the overall physical health of the patient. Oncologists undertake path like surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and medication. asmaalizain@khaleejtimes