Khaberni - The General Director of the King Hussein Cancer Center, Asem Mansour, said that the number of cancer cases diagnosed annually in Jordan has seen a noteworthy increase in recent years, thanks to advancements in early disease detection mechanisms.
Mansour added that the latest statistics published for the year 2022 indicate 8,700 cancer cases among Jordanians and 200 cases among non-Jordanians, including refugees and those seeking medical tourism.
He emphasized that these figures represent twice the cases recorded two decades ago, pointing out that the increase in cancer cases has become a notable phenomenon in Jordan.
Mansour explained that the main reasons for the rise in cancer cases are multiple, including the natural increase in population, in addition to smoking, which is responsible for 20% of cancer cases in the kingdom.
He mentioned that the percentage of smokers among Jordanians has seen significant jumps, from 30% in 2007 to 50% in 2019, and it has now reached 72% among men.
As for women, the percentage of female smokers was about 5.6% in 2007, while today it has reached 29%, which is five times the previous rate.
Mansour pointed out that the national cancer registry showed an increase in smoking-related cases among women, noting that lung cancer is the most common cancer among women in Jordan, ranking eighth in terms of prevalence.
He added that other types of cancers, such as pharyngeal, vocal cords, and mouth cancers, as well as bladder cancer, have been increasingly appearing among Jordanian women due to smoking.
Regarding diagnosis and treatment, Mansour confirmed that cancer is no longer necessarily a fatal disease, as 70% of cancer patients live for at least five years after diagnosis.
He noted that types of cancer such as thyroid, lymphatic, testicular, breast, and prostate have seen cure rates ranging from 90% to 100%.
However, there are some types of cancer, such as pancreatic, biliary tract, esophageal, liver, and brain cancers, that have not seen any significant treatment advancements in half a century.
Concerning the situation in Jordan compared to other countries, Mansour affirmed that Jordan is considered among the countries with moderate to low cancer incidence rates, with about 110 cancer cases diagnosed among Jordanians per 100,000 people.
