Ozlem Aynaci, Yetkin Tuac, Layth Mula-Hussain, Lubna Hammoudeh, Salameh Obeidat, Enas Abu Abeelh, Ahmed H Ibrahim, Sepideh Mohammadipour, Bader Alali, Ahmed Jdaini, Ali Barki, Nesrine Mejri, Zeinab Alhaddad, Nadeem Pervez, Hussain Al Hussain, Mohamad Kadri, Mohamed A Elfagieh, Adda Bounedjar, Moamin Junaid, Ahmed M Badheeb, Ibrahim Abu Ghida, Shalini Moningi, Jonathan E Leeman, Peter F Orio, Paul L Nguyen, Anthony V D'Amico, Mutlay Sayan
{"title":"Prostate cancer screening in the Middle East and North Africa: a cross-sectional study on current practices.","authors":"Ozlem Aynaci, Yetkin Tuac, Layth Mula-Hussain, Lubna Hammoudeh, Salameh Obeidat, Enas Abu Abeelh, Ahmed H Ibrahim, Sepideh Mohammadipour, Bader Alali, Ahmed Jdaini, Ali Barki, Nesrine Mejri, Zeinab Alhaddad, Nadeem Pervez, Hussain Al Hussain, Mohamad Kadri, Mohamed A Elfagieh, Adda Bounedjar, Moamin Junaid, Ahmed M Badheeb, Ibrahim Abu Ghida, Shalini Moningi, Jonathan E Leeman, Peter F Orio, Paul L Nguyen, Anthony V D'Amico, Mutlay Sayan","doi":"10.1093/jncics/pkaf019","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Prostate cancer is a significant health concern in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with many cases diagnosed at advanced stages, a high mortality-to-incidence ratio, and low prostate cancer awareness. This study aims to evaluate prostate cancer screening practices in the region to inform effective early detection and management strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 1, 2023, to November 8, 2024, among physicians from 19 countries in the MENA region. The study utilized a validated questionnaire to assess prostate cancer screening practices, barriers, and educational needs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The survey had a response rate of 96.8%, with 1,163 participants. Of these, 34.7% routinely performed prostate cancer screenings, with 61.1% using PSA tests. The primary barrier was lack of patient awareness (51.2%). Additionally, 65.3% of participants had no formal training. To improve screening rates, participants suggested better patient education (63.5%), increased training for healthcare providers (41.9%), and improved access to screening equipment (38.9%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study reveals that prostate cancer screening was low, with barriers including a lack of patient awareness and formal training among physicians. Addressing these issues through culturally tailored education programs may improve early detection rates and ultimately reduce the burden of prostate cancer in the MENA region.</p>","PeriodicalId":14681,"journal":{"name":"JNCI Cancer Spectrum","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"JNCI Cancer Spectrum","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jncics/pkaf019","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ONCOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Prostate cancer is a significant health concern in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with many cases diagnosed at advanced stages, a high mortality-to-incidence ratio, and low prostate cancer awareness. This study aims to evaluate prostate cancer screening practices in the region to inform effective early detection and management strategies.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 1, 2023, to November 8, 2024, among physicians from 19 countries in the MENA region. The study utilized a validated questionnaire to assess prostate cancer screening practices, barriers, and educational needs.
Results: The survey had a response rate of 96.8%, with 1,163 participants. Of these, 34.7% routinely performed prostate cancer screenings, with 61.1% using PSA tests. The primary barrier was lack of patient awareness (51.2%). Additionally, 65.3% of participants had no formal training. To improve screening rates, participants suggested better patient education (63.5%), increased training for healthcare providers (41.9%), and improved access to screening equipment (38.9%).
Conclusion: This study reveals that prostate cancer screening was low, with barriers including a lack of patient awareness and formal training among physicians. Addressing these issues through culturally tailored education programs may improve early detection rates and ultimately reduce the burden of prostate cancer in the MENA region.