Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 3 April, 2017 – A team of physicians at American Hospital Dubai – the first accredited hospital of Mayo Clinic Care Network in the Middle East – successfully completed the first cancer treatment operation of its kind in the Gulf region. The milestone achievement was announced at a press conference this morning in the presence of Sheikha Hind bint Faisal Al Qassimi and Doctor Marwan Mohd Al Mulla, acting director of Health Regulation Department. The press conference was held at the American Hospital Dubai’s premises.
Led by Dr. Tariq Dufan, Director – Radiation Oncology, American Hospital Dubai, the team of physicians conducted an operation to treat cancer of the eighth cranial nerve in a record time of four minutes. The patient’s discharge on the same day of the operation is considered an unprecedented medical achievement in the Gulf and a significant advancement in same day operations, regionally.
American Hospital Dubai also launched several treatment services during the press conference including Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) / Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) and Stereotactic Radio Surgery (SRS) to treat various types of cancers, becoming the first healthcare facility in the GCC to introduce the ground-breaking cancer treatments. In addition, it is the only hospital in Dubai to successfully perform Brachytherapy for treating of prostrate, cervix, endometrium, breast, skin, bronchus, and esophagus cancers as well as soft tissue sarcomas, among others.
SABR / SBRT is an innovative, non-invasive procedure for treating cancers in the lung, head and neck, prostrate and liver along with other disease sites outside the central nervous system (CNS). This line of treatment escalates the dose to the target lesion to increase local control while limiting the effect on nearby critical structures and normal tissues. SRS, on the other hand, is most commonly used for tumors and other medical conditions in the brain or CNS, delivering high doses of radiation to treat tumors with precision. This procedure uses Varian technology and is widening the options available to multi-disciplinary oncology teams worldwide.
Lastly, Brachytherapy make use of two different techniques – Low Dose Rate (LDR) and High Dose Rate (HDR) – to place radioactive sources directly into or next to the malignant area. It enables oncologists to efficiently deliver a high dose with minimal impact on the surrounding healthy anatomy. Image Guides Brachytherapy (IGBT), on the other hand, combines advanced imaging techniques with modern procedures for quick and precise treatment.
“American Hospital Dubai has a state-of-the-art oncology department offering a comprehensive and innovative range of treatment to cancer patients. In our quest to provide patients with the latest techniques in the treatment of cancer, we have become regional pioneers in offering SABR and SRS procedures and the first hospital in Dubai to administer Brachytherapy. Our objective is to ensure quick, effective and precise treatment while causing minimal impact to nearby healthy tissues. We are confident that our new line of cancer treatments will be a swift and painless experience, enabling patients to live long, healthy and cancer-free lives,” concluded Dr. Tarek Dufan, Director – Radiation Oncology, American Hospital Dubai.
American Hospital Dubai is a premium, multi-specialty healthcare facility in Dubai. Its cutting-edge oncology department offers the most advanced treatments for various types of cancers administered by expert and experienced oncologists. Its latest treatments include SABR / SBRT for tumors outside the CNS, SRS for tumors and medical conditions in the brain or CNS, and Brachytherapy, a highly-advanced form of radiotherapy.
