RIYADH, 24 February 2005 — Saudi Arabia has recorded nearly 30,400 cancer cases in only two years. Riyadh city topped the list of victims, representing some 10 percent of the total cases reported all over the Kingdom.
“Riyadh is closely followed by the Eastern Province with nearly eight percent,” said Dr. Khaled Fahim, oncology specialist at Merck Scientific Office. Dr. Ihab Aziz, another oncology specialist working for Merck, was also present.
Dr. Fahim also spoke about the new trends in cancer treatment. He pointed out that a new medicine Erbitux, effective in the treatment of colon cancer, has revolutionized the medical world.
He said a total of 15.6 percent cancer cases are diagnosed too late to ensure proper treatment. The diagnosis at later stages is mainly because of the ignorance of the patients about the disease.
Referring to the Erbitux, which offers a new treatment option to patients suffering from cancer colon, Dr. Fahim said: “Colon cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide and very few people afflicted with this disease survive beyond five years.”
“Erbitux (cetuximab) from Merck KgaA of Germany is a monoclonal antibody that targets special receptors on tumor cells,” he said. He explained that clinical trials with Erbitux, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, have demonstrated inhibited tumor growth with an acceptable safety profile.
Referring to the figures of the National Cancer Registry of Saudi Arabia, which is a population-based registry initiated by the Ministry of Health in 1992, Dr. Fahim pointed out that 753 cases of colon cancer were recorded in Saudi Arabia during a two-year period (1999 & 2000) and the prevalence rate was higher among the male population.
