KUWAIT: The National Cancer Awareness Campaign (CAN) concluded its annual thyroid cancer awareness campaign under the slogan “Be aware and care,” which lasted for a week to spread awareness about cancers that can be detected early, thereby increasing recovery rates.
Chairman of the Board of Directors (CAN) Dr Khaled Al-Saleh said in a press statement that thyroid cancer is an abnormal growth of cells in the thyroid gland in the neck and often starts as a painless lump or nodule. Symptoms may include hoarseness, difficulty swallowing or breathing, and enlarged lymph nodes. It can be caused by genetic changes (mutations), genetic factors, and exposure to radiation.
He pointed out that the actual causes of thyroid cancer are still unclear, but it develops when genetic changes occur in the cells of the thyroid gland, causing abnormal cell proliferation, which leads to the growth of a cancerous tumor. In some cases, it may spread to other areas of the body, but there are some factors that increase the risk of developing it, including exposure to radiation, especially during childhood. radiation, especially during childhood.
He emphasized that thyroid cancer is a curable cancer and requires medical consultation for diagnosis and treatment, noting that there are several types of thyroid cancer, most of which grow slowly, but some of which may be aggressive. However, most thyroid cancers can be successfully treated. Dr Al-Saleh pointed out the importance of the role of doctors in the early detection of the disease, which increases the recovery rate to about 90 percent, noting the awareness efforts made by CAN to motivate all segments of society to adopt a balanced lifestyle that includes proper nutrition and physical activity.
Dr Iman Al-Shammari, the campaign’s coordinator, said that the campaign’s goal is to increase recovery rates by raising awareness about the importance of early detection of this disease, which ranks third among the most common cancers in Kuwait. She said that the campaign included a number of health exhibitions in several Ministry of Health hospitals and health centers, during which a number of awareness activities were presented and educational publications were distributed to raise awareness of the importance of early detection and treatment to achieve better recovery rates.
Dr Al-Shammari explained that the campaign aims primarily to spread awareness and increase health literacy about the early signs of the disease and raise recovery rates by encouraging early detection to increase the chances of treatment and recovery, as well as providing psychological support to those who have recovered from the disease.
