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The National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), a member of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), recently held its first Breast Cancer Management Masterclass for staff. The advanced hands-on course addressed important current knowledge in breast cancer management.
More than 300 delegates attended the two-day masterclass that brought together well-known local, regional and international leaders in the oncology field, including experts in breast cancer.
In her inspirational and challenging opening ceremony address, Dr. Salha Boujassoum Al Bader, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist at NCCCR and Chair of the Breast Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), provided an overview of HMC’s key achievements. She highlighted the important milestones that have been achieved in the journey of transformation for cancer services in Qatar since the launch of the first National Cancer Strategy in 2011. She then opened the floor to a lively debate that featured a number of prominent topics about breast cancer.
Dr. Al Bader said: “The first Breast Cancer Management Masterclass was a great opportunity for oncology experts with an interest in sharing the latest findings and information in the field of breast cancer management to join forces for the first time in Qatar. We were delighted to welcome such respected leaders in the oncology field and to learn more about the advances being made in research, breast cancer management, and other breast cancer-related topics.”
Under the theme, ‘Moving towards Comprehensive Breast Cancer Care,’ the two-day masterclass event covered key topics such as breast cancer management in young women, different modalities of systemic treatment and breast cancer pathology as well as controversial issues in the surgical management of early breast cancer, hereditary breast cancer from the perspective of epidemiology to biology and risk reduction strategies. Other related topics captivated the audience and added much value to the debate.
Commenting on the significance of the event Dr. Mothaffar F. Rimawi, Associate Professor, Breast Center Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, USA, said: “This masterclass event combines HMC’s commitment to providing the safest, most effective and most compassionate care to each and every patient with sharing the latest research and advances in breast oncology treatments to improve patient care. Such activities are the first step towards creating a community of specialists and leaders in oncology and most specifically for breast cancer in Qatar and the region.”
Dr. Hamdy A. Azim, Professor of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine at Egypt’s Cairo University, stated: “The first-ever masterclass in breast cancer management in Qatar was a great success. I’m happy to have been involved and would also like to extend my sincere thanks and recognition to the organizing committee who made every effort to make this event a success.”
The importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to care for patients with complex diseases such as breast cancer was among the hot topics discussed throughout the two-day session. The focus was on the significance of using an integrated team of professionals to represent the relevant treatment modalities, i.e. surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic medical interventions, to limit adverse events and improve patient outcomes.
