A view of National Centre for Cancer Care and Research.
Doha, Qatar: Hamad Medical Corporation's pioneering Cardio-Oncology Program aims to become a beacon of excellence in the Middle East and beyond. The program, which has shown tremendous development over the years, sets its sights on bolstering its reputation and striving for a prominent position within the global medical community.
The program provides care for patients to prevent or limit potential side effects of cancer therapies on the heart, which is the region’s first program of its kind. The Cardio-Oncology Program aims to build a more substantial international reputation, be a preeminent cardio-oncology program in the Middle East, and open a chapter in the International Cardio-Oncology Society.
HMC's Heart Hospital and National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) introduced the program in 2015. Due to the growing demand for cardio-oncology services, HMC established a dedicated unit at NCCCR, increased the number of clinics, and developed a Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee.
Cardio-oncology focuses on identifying, monitoring, and treating cardiovascular diseases caused by cancer therapies. The goal is to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment on patients’ cardiovascular systems. Cardio-oncologists help patients receive the most effective cancer treatment with minimal heart damage.
Dr. Wafer Dabdoob, Consultant Cardiologist and Clinician Lead in Cardio-oncology and Advanced Heart Failure at HMC; Dr. Salha Bujassoum Al Bader, Consultant – Hematologist/ Oncologist and Chairperson of Medical Oncology and Palliative Care Medicine at HMC; and Asma Younes, Clinical Nurse Specialist at NCCCR have highlighted the Cardio-Oncology Program in an article published on News and Views newsletter of NCCCR.
The primary objective of this service is to prevent and mitigate cardiovascular toxicity, reduce treatment interruption, and ensure a better life for survivors. The cardio-oncology team coordinates care in two main specialties, cardiology, oncology/hematology, and other related facilities such as bone marrow transplantation and cancer surgery.
Over the years, the cardio-oncology service faced a growing demand from cancer patients and their healthcare providers, and the complexity of diagnosing and managing cardiotoxicity, closer interactions with cancer patients and cancer-treating physicians were promptly needed with more multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings.
Therefore, the cardio-oncology clinic has been relocated from the Heart hospital to NCCCR and started two weekly clinics and inpatient consultation services.
To meet the demand for service, national guidelines, policies, and management pathways were also developed, reviewed, and agreed upon by the hospital and corporate Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee (CPG).
Cardio-oncology is a multidisciplinary specialty that requires collaborations not only with oncologists and hematologists but also with radiotherapy, non-invasive cardiology, cardiac imaging specialists, electrophysiologists, interventionists, cardiac rehabilitation, and nursing.
Therefore, MDT of Cardio-Oncology Program consists of a cardiologist expert in heart failure and certified in cardio-oncology, a dedicated clinical nurse specialist who is certified in cardio-oncology, an electrocardiogram technician, and echocardiography technicians, and others.
