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Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation's National Center of Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) has implemented a pioneering genetic cancer programme to curb cancer incidence among high-risk populations significantly.
The programme empowers individuals genetically predisposed to cancer with unprecedented insights, enabling them to proactively explore targeted options that can effectively reduce their inherent risk. As the world battles the relentless rise of cancer cases, NCCCR’s innovative approach marks a crucial step towards reshaping the landscape of cancer prevention and personalised healthcare strategies.
“Due to the recent developments in precision medicine and genomics, we can now identify individuals at increased risk of cancer due to hereditary predisposition and provide them with appropriate genetic counselling and risk-reducing strategies. Carriers of mutations that increase their risk of cancer are offered management options to reduce their risk through education and awareness, clinical examination, surveillance, chemoprevention, and prophylactic surgery,” said Dr. Hind Hassan Habish, a specialist internist in high-risk medical oncology and a member of Cancer Genetics Team at NCCCR.
According to her, the genetic cancer programme has been established in NCCCR to reduce cancer incidence in high-risk populations.
Although cancer is a multifactorial disease, germline mutations in cancer predisposition genes are responsible for about 5%-10% of cancers, and genetic abnormalities are shown to substantially increase the lifetime risk of developing cancer. “The programme at NCCCR has comprehensive services, including the High-Risk Medical Oncology clinic, where unaffected, high-risk individuals – at increased risk for cancer due to cancer-predisposing germline mutation - are offered risk-reducing strategies,” said Dr. Habish in an article published in NCCCR’s newsletter News and Views.
Medical data proved that intensive surveillance and prophylactic measures offered to those at high cancer risk could minimise this risk.
“During the initial clinic visit, cancer risk is explained to the patient, and the options to reduce this risk are discussed. Often, the patient chooses between surveillance with imaging screening, using medications to reduce their cancer risk, or prophylactic surgeries,” said Dr. Habish.
In addition, high-risk medical oncology clinic patients are referred to other medical departments for screening and surgery if indicated. For instance, BRCA ½ mutation carriers at high risk of breast and ovarian cancer are referred to the breast surgical and gynaecological oncology departments for prophylactic mastectomies and Salpingo-Oophorectomy.
Those at high risk of colon cancer are referred to the gastroenterology team for colon cancer screening with regular colonoscopies. Importantly, and as many of the germline mutations in cancer-predisposing genes can be transferred to the young generations, referral to the fertility clinic (in vitro fertilization clinics) for Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is done upon patient agreement.
