Muscat, Oct 21 - The cancer incidence rate is 103.8 per 100,000 in the Sultanate, with breast cancer being most common among women and prostate cancer among men, according to 2015 Cancer Incidence Report.
According to the report, brought out by Ministry of Health (MoH) on Sunday, 1,840 cases of cancer have been detected in the country, of which 1,615 are Omani (749 males, 866 females) and 185 expats.
Cancer cases among children below 14 years reached 111.
The report was brought out by the MoH, represented by Directorate General of Primary Healthcare (DGPH), Non-Communicable Diseases Department in cooperation with the National Oncology Center.
The launch ceremony was held under the patronage of Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saidi, Minister of Health.
Dr Al Saeedi said cancer is not a cause of concern in Oman compared with other countries in the region or the world.
He said the Sultanate was the first country in the GCC to publish the 2015 Cancer Incidence Report.
The minister called upon public and private health sectors and health workers to cooperate with the cancer registry team by providing accurate data.
Dr Said bin Harib al Lamki, DGPH Director General, said the Sultanate has followed UN initiative on developing a multi-sectoral strategy as well as the National Policy of Non-Communicable Diseases Control.
He said the cancer incidence report covered the main diseases such as cancer, diabetes, respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
The Oman National Cancer Registry (ONCR) is the mainstay for cancer treatment and control. It is considered a reliable resource for decision-makers in developing prevention programmes.
ONCR, established in 1985, aims at compiling a database about cancer cases in the Sultanate, monitoring cancer trends as well as providing researchers and doctors with information on types and number of cancer cases and their population distribution.
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