In line with the breast cancer pathway, Screen For Life targets all women aged 45-69 years who are showing no signs of breast cancer symptoms, recommending them to undergo a breast cancer screening.
If the results of the examination are normal, then the participant is only required to repeat the screening after three years. However, if the results reflect certain abnormality, the participant will receive a call for a follow-up appointment with PHCC doctors.
The doctor will then refer them to Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) for further tests.
In the case of bowel cancer, the Screen For Life pathway recommends that men and women aged 50-74 years, who show no signs of symptoms, should undergo bowel cancer screening. If the results are normal, then the participant only needs to repeat the procedure after one year. If the results are abnormal, the participant will receive a call for a follow-up appointment with PHCC doctors. The doctor will then refer them to HMC for further examination.
The programme has a dedicated call centre that calls the eligible population and invites them for screening. However, people are highly encouraged to take the initiative and contact the call centre to request a screening appointment at one of the dedicated facilities.
Dr Shaikha Abou Shaikha, manager, Screening Programmes at PHCC, said: “For us at PHCC, it’s an important mission to raise awareness among people through various platforms and occasions to get screened as early detection can lead to almost 100% survival rate in case of breast cancer and up to 90% survival rate in case of bowel cancer. Screen For Life, since its inception, has been successfully conveying this message and reaching out to the masses in addressing the criticality of regular cancer screening at the PHCC screening suites.
"By staying alarmed and spreading the underlying message, we believe we can soon achieve our target of making Qatar a healthier and happier nation.”
It is important to note that abnormal results do not mean the person has cancer. It means they require further tests, and are therefore referred to HMC, a statement notes. This will help determine whether the exam is normal and is not cause for alarm. "Always remember that early detection saves lives," it adds.
Patients can get screened at any of the three screening suites at the Al Wakra, Leabaib and Rawdat Al Khail health centres by taking a prior appointment to avoid any hassle. To know more about breast and bowel cancer symptoms, screening tests or to book an appointment for screening, one can contact the dedicated call centre at 8001112.