Kuwait’s hereditary cancer rate aligns with global rate, says KCCC
The percentage of hereditary cancer in Kuwait is estimated at 10 percent, which is in line with the global rate, a consultant at Kuwait Cancer Control Center (KCCC) said on Saturday.
KCCC’s Clinical Genetics and Cancer Diseases Consultant Dr Shaker Bahzad was speaking in a press statement following the opening of the Genome Day Conference, held with the participation of doctors from public and private sectors.
The conference discussions address several topics related to dealing with cancer patients.
He explained that most cancer cases are not related to heredity, pointing out that the early discovery enabled doctors to prevent and treat it before appearance, in addition to following up on these cases annually.
Bahzad pointed out that the most common cancers include breast, colon, ovarian and uterine cancer, adding that less common types linked to heredity is leukemia, lymphoma and brain cancer, noting that medications are available in Kuwait for all types.
For his part, Head of the Genetic Testing Department at Ghanima Al-Ghanim Center, Dr Mohammad Al-Ali, said that the conference discussed the latest developments in the field of genetic medicine.
He noted that medical genetics developed significantly in Kuwait, starting from examinations to diagnosis and introducing the appropriate medication to prevent genetic diseases.
Al-Ali pointed out that with the start of using pre-implantation embryo testing, the percentage of genetic diseases in Kuwait was reduced, and the success rate of In vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments was raised from 32 to 76 percent.
He explained that the rate of myasthenia gravis, which is considered the most expensive treatment in the world, has decreased in Kuwait from six cases per year to one or two cases and is on its way to extinction.
Bader Sultan & Brothers Co. and Thermo Fisher Scientific Biotechnology Company organized the conference, in cooperation with KCCC and Ghanima Al-Ghanim Center for Genetic Diseases.
Source: KUNA
