Kuwait: The Cancer Awareness National Campaign (CAN) has announced the launch of their annual thyroid cancer awareness campaign (knowledge is life), with seminars medical staff in primary care and training centers, to be held until January 28th .

CAN board Chairman Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh said in the launch ceremony Sunday that thyroid cancer cases have increased worldwide. However in Kuwait, there are only 13 cases among 100,000 women, recorded a year, and around six among men in the same sample, Dr. Al-Saleh said, stressing importance of early detection, which can lead to a 99 percent cure rate.

Thyroid cancer comes second as to the illnesses common among women after breast cancer and the fifth for men, according to a Kuwait Cancer Control Center's (KCCC) survey, stated Dr. Al-Saleh, pointing out the importance of spreading health awareness towards cancer diseases, especially ones that have initial signs that can be detected.

The thyroid gland is one of the glands of the endocrine system which secretes hormones that enter the metabolic processes. Prevention and early diagnosis are important to ensure they function well.

Dr. Al-Saleh revealed that there is a significant acceleration in the development of modern technologies for the detection of tumors, explaining the increase in thyroid cancer cases is because they have helped doctors discover small cancer cells in the thyroid gland they were not able to see before.

Various types of thyroid cancers can be treated, however, prevention is easier than curing. Moreover, living a healthy lifestyle plays a part and annual tests and blood tests to determine the level of gland hormone are required for early detection.

Campaign officer Dr. Eman Alshemmari reiterated the importance of raising awareness to all parties, by sending a message with correct and simplified information to the general public, through exhibitions or brochures about thyroid cancer. - KUNA