Officials from the only Cancer Treatment Center in the country said at an event to mark World Cancer Day on Saturday that at least 6,000 patients have visited the center in the past year.

According to the center, 55 percent of their patients are men while 45 percent of their patients are women.

“45 percent of the patients who visit the center are women and 55 percent are men. The most common cancer among men are digestive system cancers but breast cancer is most common among women patients who visit the center,” said Abdullah Himmat Bahir, a surgeon at the center.

Freba, 40, who suffers from esophageal cancer, said it took months for her problem to be diagnosed. Once diagnosed she underwent surgery at the Cancer Treatment Center, she said.

“The 400-bed hospital diagnosed my illness and then I was sent to the center for surgery,” Freba said.

Meanwhile, the head of the non-contagious diseases department at the Ministry of Public Health, Fahim Paigham, said facilities to treat cancer patients are scarce in the country.

“Serious types of cancer, which requires specialized treatment and care, cannot be treated in the country,” he said.