RIYADH: A medical team at King Saud University (KSU) has performed successful surgery on a patient with early-stage breast cancer using intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOERT) technology for the first time in the Arab world.
IOERT applies radiation directly to the tumor or tumor bed rather than healthy tissue during cancer surgery.
The successful surgery is another feather in the cap of KSU, which is leading the vanguard in academic excellence in the Kingdom.
Professor Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al-Saif, the head of the surgical team that carried out the surgery, told Arab News in an exclusive interview on Friday: “It is indeed a great feeling to be the 'first to do' something beneficial for humanity in the Arab world, thanks to Allah.”
“At the present time, breast cancer is being treated by five modalities of therapy, one of them is radiotherapy; which has been in the treatment arena for the past 50 years and it is improving as time goes by,” Al-Saif said.
“Classical radiotherapy is called whole breast irradiation (WBI ) and means irradiating the whole breast tissue, which has many side effects, especially on the heart, lungs, ribs and skin,” he said.
“IORT gives the patient the needed dose of radiation immediately after finishing the surgery while the patient is still under general anesthesia. This radiation dose is directed to the tumor bed and the immediate breast tissue surrounding it, which means the patient gets the benefits of irradiation and avoids the harms to a greater extent,” he said.
“There are many types of IORT, one of them is giving electron radiation as opposed to photons radiation and the scientific evidence supports electron therapy much more than supporting photon therapy,” he said. “In our case, we used electron therapy for the first time in the Arab world.”
“It is very important to emphasize that only patients with early-stage breast cancer may benefit from this technology,” he said. “Our plan is to increase public awareness about this disease so that patients can come to us at an early stage and benefit from this technology.”
The advantages of the technique include shortening the duration of the treatment period from six weeks to ten minutes; the radiation treatment at the time of surgery has a limited impact on the skin compared to conventional methods of radiation therapy.
Saudi university team treats breast cancer patient with intraoperative electron radiation therapy for first time in Arab world
Saudi university team treats breast cancer patient with intraoperative electron radiation therapy for first time in Arab world
Saudi aid agency expands humanitarian assistance across conflict-hit regions
- Efforts aim to ease suffering caused by harsh living conditions
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief continues to make an impact by delivering critical assistance to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
A KSrelief humanitarian convoy has crossed the Rafah border and moved toward the Kerem Abu Salem crossing in southeastern Gaza, carrying essential food baskets for Palestinians.
The Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage, KSrelief’s implementing partner in Gaza, has established new camps in the Al-Qarara area of southern Gaza and the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.
These efforts aim to ease suffering by ensuring that food and means of shelter reach the most vulnerable, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
Meanwhile, KSrelief has signed an executive program with a civil society organization to help restore the Al-Manara Water Treatment Plant and supply electricity to the Saudi Maternity and Children’s Hospital, and Al-Buluk Children’s Hospital in Omdurman, Sudan.
The program will provide safe drinking water, helping reduce waterborne diseases, and ensure a reliable power supply for the two hospitals, the SPA added.
KSrelief has also distributed 900 food baskets to displaced families and returnees in Sudan’s Sennar State, benefiting 5,538 people, and 1,400 food baskets in River Nile State, helping 11,700 beneficiaries.
Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, has provided aid to support crisis-hit Sudan via 13 aircraft and 60 ships, the SPA reported.
KSrelief has also signed a cooperation agreement with the International Association for the Care of Victims of War and Disasters to implement the eighth phase of operations at the Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Center in Yemen’s Taiz governorate.
The project will benefit 8,050 people by helping with physical rehabilitation, monitoring patients’ progress, and supporting the integration of people with disabilities into society.
It includes individual treatment plans, prosthetic fittings, functional rehabilitation, and specialized training to strengthen the capabilities of medical staff, the SPA added.
In addition, KSrelief has distributed food baskets to 810 vulnerable families in Chad. In Afghanistan, the agency has provided food assistance to 510 families in Badakhshan Province, benefiting 3,060 individuals, including returnees, orphans, and others in need.
KSrelief has implemented 4,006 projects in 109 countries since 2015, spending over $8.27 billion on food security, health, education, water and sanitation, shelter, and early recovery.
