Medical researchers are calling for a national screening programme to detect colorectal cancer (CRC) with a recently published study on the prevalence of the most common form of cancer amongst men.
‘Epidemiology of Rectal Cancer Patients in the Kingdom of Bahrain: A Retrospective Cohort Study’ conducted by a group of international researchers found that more screening and better awareness are needed to detect the disease early and offer better treatment options.
“The high number of Bahraini males diagnosed with rectal cancer highlights the importance of early screening and detection,” the researchers concluded in the peer-reviewed academic paper published in the Euroasian Journal of Hepato-Gastroenterology.
“The prevalence of the tumour in the lower rectum suggests the need for improved education on recognising symptoms and seeking medical attention.
“Further research is required to establish a comprehensive national screening programme for rectal cancer in Bahrain.”
The academics who conducted the study were Isam Juma and Mirza Saeed from King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH); UK-based John Radcliffe Hospital researcher Leonie R Hamel; Zahra Ali from Nehla Medical Centre in A’ali; Canada-based Israa Sinan; alongside Saud Alkhlofi Zainab Ibrahim and Zeki Surmeli from the Bahrain Oncology Centre in Muharraq.
The retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 184 patients diagnosed with primary or second primary rectal cancer between January 2019 and December 2022.
The majority of those surveyed (85.9 per cent) were Bahraini, with males being more prevalent at 57.6pc.
“CRC is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in Bahrain,” Bahrain Cancer Society president Dr Abdulrahman Ebrahim Fakhro told the GDN. “According to the Bahrain National Cancer Registry 2020, CRC ranks as the most common cancer among men and the second most prevalent among women.”
More than 50pc of patients diagnosed with rectal cancer were aged 60 years or younger.
In most cases, the tumours were spotted in the lower rectum and were diagnosed by the appearance of symptoms. “A pervasive myth is that CRC only affects the elderly,” Dr Fakhro added. “However, the study’s median age at diagnosis was 59.1 years, with 14 secondary primary cases identified in patients as young as 38.
“Another misconception is that symptom-free individuals need not screen. Yet, 91.8pc of cases in the study were diagnosed after symptom onset, often at advanced stages.
“Public education must emphasise that CRC can develop silently and that screening saves lives – even for those feeling healthy.”
The study found that just 3.8pc of cases were detected through screening campaigns, while 91.8pc presented symptomatically.
To enhance early detection, Dr Fakhro noted that Bahrain must expand access to fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), prioritising high-risk groups, like individuals aged 40 and above with a family history of CRC, lower the screening age and increase public awareness to dispel misconceptions about screening discomfort or irrelevance through community outreach.
In support of the researchers’ call, Dr Fakhro agreed on the need for a national screening programme, adding that more funding must be secured for FIT kits, colonoscopy infrastructure, and lab services, better training must be provided for healthcare providers to equip primary care teams to administer screenings and interpret results and adherence must be monitored to ensure high-risk individuals complete follow-ups.
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