Proton Therapy Congress 2016

Proton therapy in the Middle East 

Dr Aly Abdel Razek - Gulf International Cancer Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Could you tell us about the Gulf International Cancer Centre?

The centre was started in 2007, this is the first outpatient facility for treating cancer in UAE other than Tawam Hospital which is in Al Ain, it’s a government facility. We have provided radiation therapy, medical oncology and the first PET-CT scan in UAE.

What are your thoughts on the conference?

The conference is well attended, gathered all the interested people in proton therapy and the group, Proton Partners International, actually came to Abu Dhabi and they established a centre over there for proton treatment in addition to acquiring the Gulf International Cancer Centre. So under that umbrella all modalities of treating cancer using radiation therapy will be available to UAE and the region also. This will be the first proton centre in the Middle East.

How do you see this conference changing clinical practice?

The conference allows the exchange of experiences in proton treatment and the sites and types of cancer that can be treated successfully and minimising the side effects and late complications to patients treated with conventional radiation therapy. So then this is an added positive pathway to treating cancer with less side effects and successful outcomes.

Do you see proton therapy replacing photon therapy?

I think it will go hand in hand and at certain sites and certain tumours proton therapy will be the way to treat those types of cancer rather than what we are using in conventional radiation therapy which might not be effective or have more side effects.

Could you tell us about the discussion on this topic, here at the conference?

The discussion was very vivid and we learned a lot of sites, especially in the paediatric group done in Boston, their experience and the outcomes they shared. Also this morning in Florida about the treatment of other sites rather than paediatric, such as prostate, for example.

What are your thoughts on the economics of proton therapy?

Proton centres are a costly centre to build so actually that translates into a more expensive treatment as radiation treatment for the patient. But it’s the value versus the outcome, it’s a balance between the two, and also the side effects. People might pay more to get less side effects and long-term complications.

Any final thoughts?

I think it will be a part of the armamentarium for treating cancer in addition to conventional radiation therapy. We will see more centres producing protons and making it more available for the cancer patients. When you have more centres the cost will decrease in establishing those centres which translates into less cost per patient.