RadNet Aids Cancer Screening Initiative in Qatar
The State of Qatar selected RadNet to help direct Screen for Life, a nationwide program aimed at promoting education, awareness and early detection of cancer. RadNet has joined a public-private partnership along with the Primary Health Care Corporation, which operates 21 primary health care centers in Qatar, to provide screening services as part of Qatar’s National Health Strategy.
Improving Cancer Screening Rates in Qatar
There is a clear link between early detection of cancers and cancer mortality rates. However, cancer screening rates in Qatar have traditionally been low. For instance, the Qatar National Cancer Society recommends biennial mammography for women aged 45 to 69. However, fewer than one-quarter of Qatari women have received mammography, according to data presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Breast Cancer by Dr. Tam Truong Donnelly.
The Screen for Life program will, in its inaugural stage, focus on breast and bowel cancers. Breast cancer accounts for 17 percent and bowel cancer for 11 percent of all cancers in Qatar, according to data from the Qatar Supreme Council of Health. A population-based screening program targeting these cancers should lead to more cancers detected at an earlier stage when they can be more successfully treated.
RadNet’s Role in Qatar’s National Health Strategy
In the United States, RadNet operates more than 290 freestanding radiology centers and employs more than 600 radiologists who collectively interpreted more than 1 million mammograms in 2015. The company’s expertise across areas such as research, education, technology and quality led Qatar to entrust RadNet with many of the clinical and operational services.
Working alongside PHCC and other partners, RadNet is establishing an organized population-based screening program. In addition to providing clinical and operational services, RadNet develops campaigns to improve cancer awareness and supports efforts to market health care reforms.
To learn more about RadNet’s health care services in Qatar and the Screen for Life program, click here.