A four-day conference on cancer opened Sunday in UAE with the participation of Arab and foreign experts, reported the Gulf News daily.
The 'Fourth International Cancer Conference' got underway with a determination to promote the exchange of knowledge between the Arab world and foreign experts, said the daily.
There was an urgent need to investigate factors suspected of being major causes of cancer, said UAE's minister of health, Hamad Abdul Rahman al-Madfa.
"These include environmental pollution resulting from increased industrial activity, and changing patterns of behavior and attitudes, such as dietary habits, the lack of exercise and smoking," he said.
The UAE has made this a priority and "the ministry has endeavored to direct enough of its resources towards diagnostic and curative facilities."
According to figures released by the ministry, 14,000 cancer patients have been treated in the year 2000.
Breast cancer, cervical cancer, cancer of the gastrointestinal tract and lung cancer are the most common, said the ministry in its website.
Presentations during the conference will deal with cancer control in the UAE, recent trends in cancer incidence and the role of nutrition, smoking and related lifestyle factors, said the daily -- Albawaba.com
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