Doha, Qatar: The Qatar National Cancer Registry is undergoing a comprehensive update to ensure compliance with rigorous international standards.
The ambitious initiative, poised to elevate the country’s cancer data collection and analysis, aims to enhance early detection and treatment strategies and ultimately contribute to global efforts in combating cancer.
The imminent upgrade is poised to elevate Qatar as a front runner in cancer surveillance and research, holding immense promise for better understanding and addressing the burden of cancer in the country.
According to the Qatar Cancer Plan, 2023-2026, aligned to the Ministry of Public Health’s Data Management Strategy, the Qatar National Cancer Registry has revised its National Cancer Registry E-Platform so that data providers can now register cancer with the information going directly to the National Cancer Registry.
“Qatar National Cancer Registry is already one of the best in the region. We want to upgrade it now, and we are working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and international organisations,” Sheikh Dr. Mohamed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of the Public Health Department, MoPH, during the launch of the Qatar Cancer Plan 2023-2026.
He said that as the Qatar National Cancer Registry becomes part of the Qatar Health Information Exchange Hub (QHIE-Hub), it will be the platform from which it will curate its data.
Dr. Al Thani said they would make some important announcements regarding digitalising information related to cancer patients.
The Qatar Health Information Exchange Hub (QHIE-Hub) programme launched in 2022 acts as a data interaction exchange, where information related to patient care can be shared through a secure and centralised digital platform.
The parameters concerning patient confidentiality will be closely monitored through data protection policies and control monitoring.
Following the recommendations in the National Cancer Framework 2017 - 2022, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has embarked on an ambitious project of digitalizing all cancer data over the next three years.
Successful collaboration between HMC and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) resulted in the launch of the E-referral system for urgent suspected cancers in September 2021, and digitalisation is continuing now across the cancer patient pathway through a working group consisting of stakeholders.
The Qatar National Cancer Registry commenced data publication in 2014, with the latest report being released in 2019. According to the report, there were 2525 newly registered cancer cases in 2019. Among these cases, 20 percent were identified as Qatari nationals, while 80 percent affected non-Qataris.
Notably, breast cancer emerged as the most prevalent cancer diagnosis among women, whereas colorectal cancer was more common among men.
