CAN trains 2,983 doctors on thyroid cancer detection
KUWAIT: The Cancer Awareness National Campaign (CAN) announced that it trained 2,983 doctors, mostly primary care physicians and dentists, on the early detection of head, neck, and thyroid cancers. CAN board chairman Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh said in his final speech on Sunday, during the annual thyroid awareness campaign, that they would be training doctors all year round to be able to detect first signs for a faster diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Al-Saleh talked about the importance of training the nursing staff on dealing with cancer patients and their families. 2,585 of them were trained to raise community awareness and learn how to identify risk factors and signs. Cooperation with the Ministry of Health aims to help with the readiness of medical and nursing staff, said Dr. Al-Saleh, while campaigns aim to help the target audience recognize the signs of thyroid cancer.
A person can get thyroid cancer at any age, but women are at greatest risk between the ages of 40 and 50, while men are at greatest risk between 60 and 70 years. This is three times more common in women than in men. Campaign officer Dr. Eman Al-Shemmari reiterated Dr. Al-Saleh’s words by saying how important it was to raise awareness and provide an integrated service to combat thyroid cancer from detection to treatment.
She also talked about the necessity for someone with a family history of cancer to do regular tests at home, seeing as how thyroid cancer symptoms are easy to detect by appearing on the skin, hair, and nails. Thyroid cancer is one of the most curable cancers and causes few deaths if diagnosed early. It is the most common but least dangerous cancer.