Abu Dhabi Breast Cancer Screenings Jump 377% After Access‑Focused Campaign

Screening Access and Convenience

In October 2025, 5,983 women aged 40 and above were screened by mammography, an increase of 377.5% compared with October 2024.

Across the whole of 2025, cancer screenings in the emirate rose by more than 280% compared with the year before.

Durra Mohammed AlBlooshi, Advisor in the Community Health Sector at Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), told Gulf News: “Together, these figures show a community moving from awareness to proactive health action.”

She said the main reason for the rise is access, noting that the campaign “Check What Really Matters” offered free mammograms through mobile units and pop‑up stations in places women already visit – shopping malls, beauty salons and sports events such as TrainYAS.

AlBlooshi added: “We integrated screening opportunities directly into women’s daily routines, so they did not have to go out of their way to seek care.”

Breast cancer screening showed the sharpest increase, while screening for cervical and colorectal cancer also rose.

Early Detection Impact

Authorities say earlier detection is already making a difference.

AlBlooshi told Gulf News that in 2025 there was an 85% increase in breast cancers found at Stage 0 or Stage 1, before the disease had spread.

She explained: “When breast cancer is caught that early, the five-year survival rate is higher than 95 to 98%, she explained.”

Early detection also often means gentler treatment and faster recovery.

Over the past two years Abu Dhabi has expanded its mobile mammography fleet to two units, and this October they are visiting more than 40 communities and workplaces.

3D mammography and AI‑assisted software are now used across healthcare providers, a development AlBlooshi said helps especially women with dense breast tissue.

Patients with suspicious findings are now referred to specialist teams “within days rather than weeks”, she added.

Overcoming Fear and Misconceptions

According to AlBlooshi, the biggest obstacles are emotional rather than practical.

Many women avoid screening because they fear the result, while others put their children and families first or assume a check‑up is unnecessary if they have no symptoms or family history.

She pointed to two common misconceptions: that mammograms are painful and that the radiation is harmful.

AlBlooshi said the compression may feel tight but is brief, modern machines use reduced doses, and screening is only needed every one to two years.

To counter these concerns, ADPHC holds informal Q&A sessions with female specialists in places like coffee shops, salons and community centres.

Mammography detects roughly 85 to 90% of breast cancers and can find tiny changes two to three years before they can be felt, she noted.

She stressed that no test is perfect, and if a mammogram is unclear doctors may add an ultrasound or MRI.

The campaign continues throughout October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.