Dubai - Pathology testing can detect early stages of cancer and other diseases with high accuracy

Citation

(2009), "Dubai - Pathology testing can detect early stages of cancer and other diseases with high accuracy", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 22 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2009.06222dab.009

Dubai - Pathology testing can detect early stages of cancer and other diseases with high accuracy

Article Type: News and views From: International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 22, Issue 4

Keywords: Pathology testing, Modern medical practice, Healthcare accreditation, Medical diagnosis

“Pathology tests are a cornerstone of modern medical practice, used for everything from determining food allergies to early detection of cancer, and while some tests can be expensive, the cost is often far less than if the problem had only been detected after the person began displaying symptoms.”

So says Dr Mashal Al-Nawab, leading pathologist and Head of Services at Dubai-based Clinical Pathology Services (CPS), which has the only purpose-built, stand-alone, reference medical laboratory for human pathology testing in the UAE. The laboratory recently became the first outside of the European Union to achieve CPA (UK) accreditation, which is considered one of the most rigorous in the world.

And pathology tests are not only useful for finding out the cause behind symptoms; they can also be used to diagnose potentially serious health problems, including cancer, before they become symptomatic. This early detection can result in improved health due to early treatment and medical intervention, as physicians rely on clinical laboratory diagnostic blood testing to diagnose medical conditions, for which they can then prescribe appropriate treatment.

“Broadly speaking, there are two categories of pathology tests: screening tests and diagnostic tests”, Dr Al-Nawab explains. “Screening tests are used to try to detect a disease process for which there is little or no evidence, such as measuring cholesterol to determine the risk for heart disease or to detect the very early stages of cancer. Diagnostic tests, on the other hand, are used when a specific disease is suspected in order to verify whether the disease is present or not and, if so, its severity. Most people are not aware of these tests, and there is still a prevalent belief that cancer is always terminal. This does not have to be the case if it is detected early.”

“Laboratory services are one of the most important diagnostic tools in modern medicine, allowing doctors and hospitals to diagnose and treat disease closer to the point of origin, allowing for more effective – and more cost-effective – treatment. Blood tests can be used to detect or monitor allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, organ function (particularly the liver and the kidneys), hormone levels, among others, all of which can help people to live longer, fuller lives by managing medical conditions from an early stage.”

The healthcare market in the Middle East is growing rapidly, with the value of the market in the UAE alone expected to rise to US$11.9 billion in 2015, from US$3.2 billion in 2005. This is partly because of the continuing population growth coupled with changing social demographics, which in turn has resulted in a high prevalence of health-risk factors for such diseases as diabetes and cancer. Dr Al-Nawab points out that the fact that blood tests can be used to diagnose these sorts of lifestyle-related health problems means that these potentially life-threatening conditions can be detected early enough to treat patients effectively and allow them to sustain a high quality of life.

“In this day and age, with highly sophisticated tests available for everything from cardiovascular health to cancer, there is no need to let health problems become health crises. People need to be made aware of the importance of these tests – don’t leave health problems until it is too late to do anything other than minimise symptoms. Keep an eye on your critical health parameters, and become involved in your own healthcare, and always choose accredited laboratories to conduct all tests, as this will increase the likelihood of correct, timely diagnosis of any problems.”

The vision of the Dubai Leadership, as expressed in the Dubai Strategic Plan 2007–15, includes a move towards a higher standard of healthcare services, backed by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS) and Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The early detection of diseases and conditions through pathology tests and other clinical testing methods can assist in moving the healthcare industry forward in line with this plan, as early detection of health issues through testing at accredited facilities allows for better treatment and improved health prospects for patients.

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