Cancer Incidence in the UAE

According to the Health Authority Abu Dhabi, cancer is the second cause of death in the UAE. The prevailing types of cancer in the UAE are breast, colon, lymphoma and prostate.

Because of a lack of definitive data, however, the exact number of cancer patients in the UAE is difficult to determine.   There is no centralized cancer registry system, and data often only becomes available after patients are admitted to hospitals in advanced stages of the disease.   A number of patients also seek treatment overseas, which means their cases may not be registered with UAE hospitals or local health authorities at all.

The latest Ministry of Health statistics in 2007 estimated that 389 Emiratis - both male and female - were diagnosed with cancer in 2007. In the non-local population, that number rose to 823 cancer diagnoses in 2007.