Hamad Medical Corporation’s National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCR) have successfully performed 147 life-saving stem cell transplants, including 42 donated hidden stem cell operations and 105 self-extracted stem cell operations from the patient’s body.
Dr. Javed Gazev, director of the bone marrow transplant program at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research, said stem cell transplant is an urgent treatment method for patients with cancers associated with benign genetic blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and other related diseases.
He explained that this treatment method was not available in Qatar until 2015 and then was introduced by the development of self-stem cell transplantation extracted from the patient’s body to be followed by the introduction of the program of transplantation of scar cells donated in 2017, where bone marrow transplant services at the national center meet the highest national requirements and international standards in terms of patient safety, and techniques used by cancer doctors and cadres specialized in the transplantation of stem cells in the unit.
He pointed out that the transplantation of donated hidden stem cells is one of the complex therapeutic processes and one of the most notable achievements achieved at the national center for cancer treatment and research and conforms to the provisions of the national cancer strategy since 2011, and the cadres of various medical specialities of doctors, nursing staff, blood transfusion specialists, medical laboratory specialists and stem cell treatment laboratories have made great efforts in training and functional development to reach the advanced bone marrow transplant program to what it is today.
Dr. Gazev added that these specialized and advanced treatment methods require a great deal of experience and skill, and the success of 147 stem cell transplants with outstanding therapeutic results is one of the most notable achievements since the launch of Qatar’s hematopoietic stem cell transplant program, which has become comparable to its best counterparts in specialized programs in this field worldwide, pointing out that despite the work pressures caused by the covid-19 pandemic over the past two years, the center has succeeded in perform 25 donated hidden stem cell operations and 50 self-extracted stem cells from the patient’s body urgently.
On his part, Dr. Mohammed Salem al Hassan, medical director of the National Center for Cancer Care and Research, said that Hamad Medical Corporation is committed to improving and developing the methods of treatment by growing hematopoietic stem cells to ensure increased and enhanced capacity in providing high quality and advanced services to all cancer patients in Qatar. Over the past three years, the daily care unit has been expanded and the use of nuclear medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer tumours has begun after the opening of the first laboratory and pharmacy dedicated to treatment drugs.
Source: QNA
Cover image credit: Shutterstock
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