Hot chemotherapy gives new lease of life to cancer patient in Sharjah

Caption: Thumbs up is Dr J. S. Rajkumar and The one in black is Dr Sadir Alrawi 

Sharjah: As a physician, Mohammad Abdel Rahman, 45, knew the chances had been stacked in opposition to him when he was identified with superior center rectal most cancers in February 2020.

“Initially, the doctors used chemotherapy, but as the cancer spread they realised they were fighting a losing battle,” remembers the Sudanese expat.

Early this 12 months, Rahman’s situation worsened. His hopes had been then hinged on Burjeel Specialty Hospital Sharjah, the place a multidisciplinary workforce of docs examined his medical experiences and really helpful the CRS-HIPEC process — an aggressive mixture of surgical procedure and chemotherapy through which a surgeon removes cancerous cells manually and floods the stomach cavity with a scorching answer containing chemotherapy medicine to kill any most cancers cell that aren't seen to the bare eye.

HIPEC is short-form for hyperthermia (heated) intra-peritoneal chemotherapy, and CRS for cytoreductive surgical procedure. In recent times, CRS-HIPEC has gained immense reputation. Nevertheless, it stays controversial until date with uncertainty about applicable affected person choice and a raging debate within the oncology neighborhood about its efficacy.

Final month, a workforce of docs led by high oncologist Dr Sadir Alrawi put such considerations behind them as they efficiently used the method on Rahman, giving him a brand new lease of life. “Many of my friends were sceptical about the procedure, given the controversies surrounding it. They said it was fraught with risks, but I am glad I went ahead with it,” stated Rahman who's recovering quick.

Dr Mehdi Afrit, guide, basic and laparoscopic surgical procedure at Burjeel Specialty Hospital Sharjah, stated this was the primary time that the CRS-HIPEC process was carried out within the Northern Emirates. “The surgery itself was very complex. We had to remove parts of the pancreas, small intestine, stomach and the gall bladder, and put all of them back again,” he stated. “The indications for cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC are difficult and always a matter of discussion and controversy at tumour board meetings. In this case, we knew exactly what we were doing.” added Dr Afrit.

Dr Humaid Al Shamsi, director of VPS oncology providers within the UAE, attributed the success of the surgical procedure to the hospital’s team-based multidisciplinary method. “HIPEC is one of the most advanced surgical procedures. It requires a special team with experience and expertise in both medical and surgical oncology,” he stated.

Laparoscopic surgeon Dr J.S. Rajkumar stated treating most cancers with CRS-HIPEC shouldn't be a singular effort. “The surgery lasted ten hours, but it involved the combined efforts and expertise of several oncologists, radiologists, pathologists nurses and dietitians who put in hundreds of hours to deliver exemplary care and treatment.”