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Free cancer screening in Qatar: Screen for Life breast and bowel checks

If you are a woman aged 45 to 69, or anyone aged 50 to 74, PHCC's Screen for Life programme offers free breast and bowel cancer screening. Call 8001112 or book online, then follow up your results.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

Who
Breast: women 45–69. Bowel: men and women 50–74
Cost
Free for PHCC-registered citizens and residents
How often
Mammogram every 3 years; bowel test every 2 years
Book
Call 8001112, use the online form, or ask your PHCC doctor

Screen for Life is Qatar's national breast and bowel cancer screening programme, run by the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), the government's network of local health centres. It checks healthy people who have no symptoms, because breast and bowel cancer found early are far easier to treat. Breast screening is a mammogram (a low-dose breast X-ray) for women aged 45 to 69; bowel screening is a simple home stool test called a FIT kit for men and women aged 50 to 74. Both are free for citizens and residents who are registered with PHCC. The order is simple: check you are in the right age group and your health card is valid, book through the call centre or online form, go to your appointment (or do the home test), and act on the result. Women can also get cervical screening (a Pap smear) at their own health centre's Well Woman Clinic.

Before you start

  • Your QID (Qatar ID), which is also your health card number
  • A valid health card and registration at your local PHCC health centre
  • A phone number that receives calls and SMS, because results are sent this way
  • For a mammogram: any earlier mammogram images, CDs or reports you have, including from your home country
  • For a mammogram: the date of your last period, so you can book for the week after it
  • For the bowel test: a clean, dry disposable container or toilet paper, and space in the fridge if you will take more than 3 days to collect all samples
  • A list of any breast surgery, implants, pacemaker or dialysis catheter, so you can tell the technician
  • Your family history of breast or bowel cancer, if you know it

Step by step

  1. Check which screening fits your age

    Screen for Life covers two cancers. Breast screening is for women aged 45 to 69 who have no breast symptoms and have not had a mammogram in the last 3 years. Bowel screening is for men and women aged 50 to 74 with no bowel symptoms, no bowel screening in the last 2 years and no colonoscopy in the last 10 years. If you fit both, you can do both. Cervical screening is separate and is covered in step 11.

  2. If you have symptoms, see a doctor instead

    Screening is for people who feel well. If you have a breast lump, skin dimpling, nipple discharge or a change in one breast, or blood in your stool, a change in bowel habits lasting more than two weeks, unexplained weight loss or tiredness, do not wait for a screening slot. Call PHCC on 107 or book with your family doctor at your health centre. The doctor can order a diagnostic test and refer you to Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) if needed. This is faster and more suitable than routine screening.

  3. Make sure your health card is valid

    The programme is for people registered with PHCC, so your health card must be active and linked to a health centre. If it has expired or you never registered, sort that out first. Once your card is valid, your records are shared between PHCC and HMC, which matters if you need follow-up. Renewing usually takes minutes online.

    Read guide: Get your health card (now linked to your QID) →

  4. Book your screening

    There are three ways in. You can call the screening call centre on 8001112 (PHCC also lists 4027 7770 in its 2025 campaign), fill in the online booking form on screenforlife.phcc.gov.qa, or ask your family doctor at your health centre to send an electronic referral. Some people are also called by the centre and invited. The team asks for your QID, age and any previous screening, then gives you a date at one of the screening suites. You can also email screenforlife.info@phcc.gov.qa with questions.

  5. Choose the right centre

    Screening suites are at PHCC health centres, not at every centre. In 2025 PHCC listed mammogram suites at Leabaib, Muaither, Rawdat Al Khail and Al Wakrah Health Centres, and bowel screening at those four plus Al Sadd Health Centre. Ask for the one closest to your home or work when you book. Arrive about 30 minutes early so there is time to check in.

  6. Prepare for your mammogram

    On the day, do not put deodorant, antiperspirant, powder, lotion, cream or perfume on your breasts or underarms, because they can show up on the X-ray. Wear a top you can remove easily. If you still have periods, book for the week after your period, when breasts are less tender. Bring any earlier mammogram images or reports. Tell the staff if you have implants, recent breast surgery, a pacemaker, a dialysis catheter or a hearing aid.

  7. Have the mammogram

    A female technician places each breast between two flat plates and presses it for about 10 to 15 seconds while X-ray pictures are taken. It can feel uncomfortable for a moment but is quick, and the whole visit usually takes under 30 minutes. The radiation dose is low. At least two radiologists read every mammogram, so you do not get the result on the spot. Ultrasound is not used instead of a mammogram for routine screening.

  8. Do the bowel test at home

    For bowel screening, you go to a screening suite where staff check you are eligible and give you a FIT kit with instructions. FIT stands for faecal immunochemical test: it looks for tiny amounts of blood in stool that you cannot see. You collect three samples from three bowel movements, labelling each bottle 1, 2 and 3 with your details. Use the small probe to scrape the stool surface so only the groove is filled, put it back in the bottle, close it and shake it well. Keep samples in an air-conditioned room for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days.

  9. Return the samples quickly

    When you have all three samples, take them together to the nearest PHCC health centre laboratory as soon as you can. Do not post them or leave them in a hot car, because heat can spoil the test. If you lose the kit or make a mistake, call 8001112 for a new one rather than sending an incomplete set.

  10. Get your result and follow up

    If your result is normal, you get a phone call and an SMS, and you are reminded to come back in 3 years for breast screening or 2 years for bowel screening. Mammogram results usually arrive within 14 working days. If the result is abnormal, the call centre contacts you and books a follow-up at HMC: the Breast Care Clinic at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) for breast results, or a colonoscopy or gastroenterology clinic for bowel results. An abnormal result does not mean you have cancer; most people called back are fine, so please go to the appointment.

  11. Women: book cervical screening too

    Cervical screening is not part of Screen for Life but is offered at the Well Woman Clinic in PHCC health centres. PHCC recommends a Pap smear for women aged 21 to 69 without symptoms: every 3 years from 21 to 49 and every 5 years from 50 to 69, with an HPV test added depending on the smear result. You can self-refer by calling 107 or ask your family doctor. Pregnant women may be offered it during antenatal care.

    Read guide: Having a baby in Qatar: antenatal care, hospitals and costs →

  12. Put the next date in your calendar

    Screening only works if you repeat it. Note the date of each test and set a reminder for the next one, because a reminder call can be missed if your phone number changes. If you are high risk, for example a close relative had breast or bowel cancer young, or you carry a BRCA gene change, ask your family doctor whether you need earlier or extra checks; PHCC can refer high-risk women to HMC's genetic clinic.

What it costs

Mammogram through Screen for Life (eligible women)Free
FIT bowel screening kit and lab test (eligible men and women)Free

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

  • Waiting for a screening appointment when you already have symptoms; call 107 or see your doctor straight away
  • Letting the health card expire, which can stop you booking or delay follow-up
  • Wearing deodorant or body lotion to a mammogram, which can show on the image and lead to a repeat
  • Returning only one or two FIT samples, or keeping them more than 3 days outside the fridge
  • Ignoring a call-back after an abnormal result out of fear; most call-backs are not cancer, and early checks are the whole point
  • Booking a mammogram before 3 years have passed, which the programme will not accept
  • Changing your phone number and not updating it, so you miss the result call and SMS
  • Assuming men do not need screening; bowel screening is for men and women from 50

Questions people ask

Is cancer screening really free for expats in Qatar?

Yes. Screen for Life screening is offered free to citizens and residents who are registered with PHCC and in the eligible age group. You need a valid health card. Any later tests at HMC follow normal health card rules, so check with HMC if you are unsure about charges.

I am under 45 but my mother had breast cancer. Can I get a mammogram?

The screening programme starts at 45 for women at average risk. If you have a strong family history or a known gene change such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, talk to your family doctor at the health centre. You may be referred to HMC's genetic clinic and offered earlier checks, sometimes with MRI or ultrasound.

Does a mammogram hurt, and is the radiation safe?

Each breast is pressed for about 10 to 15 seconds, which can be uncomfortable but is brief. Booking for the week after your period helps. The radiation dose is low, and PHCC says the benefit of finding cancer early outweighs the risk, which is one reason screening is every 3 years and not every year.

My result was abnormal. Does that mean I have cancer?

No. An abnormal result only means you need a closer look. The call centre books you a follow-up at HMC, such as the NCCCR Breast Care Clinic or a colonoscopy. Many people called back turn out to have something harmless, but it is important to attend.

Can I do the bowel test if I had a colonoscopy recently?

Not usually. The programme is for people who have not had a colonoscopy in the last 10 years or bowel screening in the last 2 years. If your doctor asked you to have repeat colonoscopies, follow that plan instead.

I have breast implants. Can I still be screened?

Yes. Implants and breast reduction do not stop you having a mammogram. Tell the technician before the scan so they can take the right pictures. After breast surgery, PHCC advises waiting at least six months unless your doctor says otherwise.

I am over 69 (or over 74). Can I still get screened?

The programme invites women up to 69 for breast screening and adults up to 74 for bowel screening. If you are older, discuss it with your family doctor, who can weigh up your health and order a test if it is useful.

Can I get screened at a private hospital instead?

Yes, private hospitals and clinics in Qatar offer mammograms and bowel tests, but you pay or claim through your insurance, and cover varies by policy. Bring the report to your PHCC doctor so your records stay complete.

Official sources

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

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