Oncology

The Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT treats approximately 100 new cancer cases in children less than 14 years of age each year, representing 10 - 15 per cent of all new pediatric cancer cases in Saudi Arabia. Approximately 55 per cent of these children have a diagnosis of leukemia/lymphoma, 20 per cent have brain tumors, and the remaining have different solid tumors including neuroblastoma, Wilm’s tumor, and sarcoma. The section is responsible for most of the Western region pediatric bone marrow transplants. Each year the unit performs approximately 40 autologous/allogeneic stem cell transplants in children with malignancies, hemoglobinopathies, severe bone marrow failure such as aplastic anemia, and rare genetic disorders.

The Hematology program accepts complicated cases of pediatric hemoglobinopathies, bone marrow failure, and bleeding and clotting disorders of children.

In-patient care is provided in a designated pediatric hematology/oncology unit with twenty inpatient beds; five beds are allocated for pediatric stem cell transplantation.

The outpatient clinics and treatment area follow and administer treatments to approximately 5700 patients annually. Treatments include outpatient chemotherapy, blood products administration, performance of intrathecal chemotherapy and bone marrow biopsies.

The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship Training Program is accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS). The program total capacity is 6 fellows being trained at any one time, with a maximum acceptance of 2 new fellows each year. The duration of fellowship training is three-years. Applicants should be board certified in general pediatrics and must be accepted by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties for the training.   The program offers comprehensive coverage of required training rotations by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and educational activates.

The Section of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology is actively involved in clinical research. All research activities must be supervised and approved by the institutional research ethics board. The Section of pediatric Hematology/Oncology participates in multicenter studies at the national level, this type of research is supported by SANAD organization and the Saudi Pediatric Hematology Oncology Society.

Achievements:

1. Recognized as a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellowship Training Program and accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) since 2010.
2. Published in: Pediatric Blood & Cancer, Blood, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplant, Annals of Hematology, Bone Marrow Transplantation, as well as poster presentation and abstracts at variety of national and international meetings.

 Subsections (or Services):

1. Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation
2. Pediatric Oncology
3. Pediatric Hematology

 Accreditations and Awards:

1. Staff recognition day 2012 for the BMT program (combined with adult team)
2. Selected by KFSHRC Gen. Org as one of the top ten percentile of employee’s who have made a significant contribution to our organization throughout 2014
3. Member of the EBMT

 2- Adult Hematology / BMT

The section of Adult Hematology/ BMT provides services for patients who have hematologic disorders. The unit is located on 4 north, equipped with 15 rooms assigned for new BMT cases and complications of BMT, leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma patients, all rooms provide positive pressure and have HEPA filters. The service provide comprehensive care for adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, hairy cell leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms, multiple myeloma, aplastic anemia , aggressive non Hodgkin lymphoma(transplant candidate), relapsed Hodgkin disease (transplant candidate), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, hemophagocytic-lympho-histiocytosis and hyper eosinophilic syndrome.

The service provides consultations for benign hematologic disorders (venous thromboembolism, immune thrombocytopenia, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, pre-operative clearance, pregnancy associated hematologic complications, hematological complications of rheumatologic disorders, and chronic anemia). In order to provide patient focused tertiary care, the adult hematology service have clinics for BMT, malignant hematologic disorders, benign hematologic disorders, lymphoma, Women’s Hematology clinic and specialized nurse clinics. In addition to providing care in the day procedure unit as well as oncology treatment area. Each adult hematology clinic is run by a consultant and assisted by an assistant consultant or a fellow. Academic activities involve a variety of meetings including those centered around patient care as well as sessions dedicated to continuous learning.

The section is actively involved in research activities and publishes many case reports, letters to editors, abstracts in the international meetings, original articles and participates in the international drug trials.

The bone marrow transplant program started in 2001 and considered the second bone marrow transplantation program for adults in the Kingdom. 

Achievements:

1. Established Out-patient HSCT program 2021
2. Established HSCT program of Multiple sclerosis in collaboration with neurology team 2022
3. Started transplant program of SCA cases in 2017
4. Adopt the myeloablative haplo-HSCT strategy 2021
5. Expand the service of malignant hematology/ BMT with >20 % increase in number of patients
6. Perform the first case of outpatient administration of Blinatumomab for Adults ALL patients 2022
7. Establish a specialised hematology clinic e.g. multiple myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia and bone marrow failure clinic 2020
8. update KFSHRC-Jeddah HSCT Clinical guidelines 2022
9. update KFSHRC-Jeddah Hematology Oncology Clinical guidelines 2021
10. successful arrangement of annual symposium of controversies and update of leukemia
11. successful arrangement of annual KFSHRC-j BMT conference
12. expansion of adult hematology fellowship program accreditation by SCFHS from joined to full program 2021

 Subsections (or Services):

Benign hematology, malignant hematology, BMT

Accreditation or Awards:

• 1st best PI project in the hospital 2020 (stem cell collection through peripheral line) Oct. 2020
• 3rd best PI project in the hospital 2021 (outpatient BMT) Oct. 2021
• Joint Accreditation Committee ISCT-EBMT (ongoing)

3. Adult Medical Oncology

The medical oncology section is the largest section in our department and focused on quality of care with the development of patient-oriented disease-specific multidisciplinary programs. In one stop the patient can visit multiple specialties consultants in one clinic location. Complex cases are being discussed in multidisciplinary tumor boards. This helps streamline the process and avoid fragmentation and delay in patient care. Patients with cancer are among the most vulnerable patients. Therefore, daily rounds through experts in their fields addressing the needs of the patients and relatives help identify and solve problems in an early phase.

Our renovated and redesigned infusion center unit has more space and became more convenient for patients and relatives. The booking system has been modernized to fulfill the expansion of number of patients and serve our guests in a short time.

We have implemented a patient focused approach utilizing clinical care coordinators programs since 2011. Our clinical coordinators provide individualized assistance to patients, families, and caregivers to help overcome health care system barriers and facilitate timely access to quality medical and psychosocial care from the time of diagnosis through all phases of the cancer experience.

We are also focused on the process of system improvement with the development of system-based morbidity and mortality review incorporating the “just culture” as well as the development of quality measures and quality improvement projects in our section. Medical oncology section is also very active in research and among the top researchers team within the organization.

Achievements:

1.      Patient care:

a)    The development of Clinical coordinator program to help the patient navigate through the course of their diagnosis and treatment since 2011

b)    The development of disease-specific multidisciplinary management since 2011

c)    The integration of Ambulatory chemotherapy program for patients who may require long infusions

d)    The early integration of palliative care into the management of patients with advanced disease

e)    The development of Quality outcome measures and quality improvement projects.

f)     System-based morbidity and mortality review

g)    Patient education and support groups

2.      Research:

a)    The research activities: medical oncology section is among the top researchers team within the organization and generating annually a respected number of publications.

b)    The incorporation of the Oncology Data Unit into oncology department with goal of developing ODU into an Oncology Research unit

c)    Developing disease-specific Data base to help boost our research publications and provide updated outcome measures.

3.      Education:

a)    The initiation of a medical oncology fellowship program since 2011

b)    Conferences: “The Best Highlights of ASCO” is an annual conference organized by the medical oncology section since 2012. It provides highlights from the American Society of Medical Oncology annual meeting.

Subsections (or Services):

1.    Multidisciplinary Breast cancer program

2.    Multidisciplinary Colorectal cancer program

3.    Multidisciplinary head and neck cancer program

4.    Multidisciplinary lymphoma program

5.    Gynecologic oncology program

6.    Urologic oncology program

7.    General medical oncology

4- Radiation Oncology

After the amalgamation of both KFSH&RC Hospitals in Riyadh and Jeddah, the King Faisal Specialist Hospital (KFSH) and Research Centre - Jeddah aimed to include patients of the western region with high standard of medical care in different specialties.

The Radiation Oncology Section partnered with King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital expanded the capabilities of its medical services through KFSHRC Healthcare, drawing upon the vast expertise of both organizations and Health Systems to provide clinical program development, research, training, safety and quality, and health care administration expertise.

The mission of radiotherapy section is to improve the survival rates and quality of life for oncology patients.

We provide our patients with advanced treatment options such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), Total body Irradiation (TBI), Intra-operative Radiation Therapy (IORT), Active Breathing Coordinator (ABC) and Brachytherapy. We have 3 LINAC’s (VERSA, SYNERGY and ARTISTE).

Each of our patients has a personalized treatment plan which is reviewed in a meeting as part of our quality assurance, ensuring our patients are given the best treatment as per evidence based medicine. Weekly, our patients are seen by the radiation oncologist to manage their side-effects, thereby ensuring better outcome of treatment and a better quality of life. One of the central pillars of our mission is to ensure our patients receive radiotherapy in a timely fashion as the delay in radiotherapy impacts on local control rate and inevitably on survival.

Hence, we have introduced waiting times, from decision to treat to start of treatment, as a Quality Indicator in our Section.

Site Specific Education Radiotherapy:

Click here.

Achievements:

Bringing the latest sophisticated technology to our patients by our highly skilled team, as we are the first center in the Middle-East to have the VERSA LINAC and recently commenced ABC technique, the only center with moving couch for TBI, and MRI Simulation.

 Subsections (or Services):

1.            Radiation Oncology

2.            Medical Physics

Accreditation or Awards:

1.            JCIA

2.            Canadian Accreditation

3.            In quality day 2013, the department of radiation oncology received award in the “Improve preparation process for radiation therapy patients”.

5. Palliative Care Medicine

Palliative Medicine is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual.

Our care team includes a wide range of specialists: physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual support, dieticians, pharmacists, and others who offer individualized support for patients and their families.

The goal of our multidisciplinary team is to provide expert pain and symptom management, education and communication about achievable goals for care, support for decisions matched to patient and family goals, psychosocial support, and coordination of care.

Our department in KFSHRC-J has launched an Adult Palliative Medicine Program, which is a unique collaboration between the different Departments of the Hospital. It not only allows us to provide thorough care for patients and families, but also to train new specialists, and to meet the need for increased research on how best to reduce the burden of chronic illness and deliver high quality palliative care.

Scope of Service:

It provides the following services: Inpatients, Outpatients, Consultations, Emergency room, Home health care visits, and Extended care unit service.

Achievements:

1.         Establishment of Multidisciplinary Palliative Care Team

2.         Establishment of Palliative Care Fellowship program

3.         Palliative Home Health Visits program by a multidisciplinary team

4.         Fast track Palliative care service in the Emergency Department

5.         Extended care unit Service