title: Gynecological cancer services in Arab countries: present scenario, problems and suggested solutions.
abstract: Gynecological malignancies account for 9% of all female cancers worldwide. In the Arab countries Breast cancer is the leading cancer in women followed by cervical cancer. Ovarian cancer ranks as fourth leading cancer in women. There are huge differences in the available resources among Arab countries. However the challenges facing the provision of gynecological cancers services shared similarities like the cultural and religious background. Most of the gynecological cancers are diagnosed at a later stage in Arab countries due to the lack of reproductive health awareness especially among older women combined with the cultural stigma of seeking medical advice for gynecological symptoms. This article discusses the current situation of gynecological cancer services in Arab countries and suggests some practical solutions.
authors.affiliation: Consultant in Gynecology and Gynecology Oncology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, UAE. osman.ortashi@uaeu.ac.ae
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ortashi
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006296:Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011379:Prognosis