Department of Medicine

Haematology/Oncology Section

The section of Haematology/Oncology of the Department of Medicine has five full-time and two part-time fully qualified specialists in these two fields, with expertise in the diagnosis and management of malignant diseases including acute and chronic leukaemias, Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, other haematological malignancies, breast cancer, gynaecological malignancies, head and neck cancer, lung cancer and other solid tumours. Weekly tumour board conferences discuss difficult management cases.

Services

The section works closely with the Department of Pathology and the Hospital’s clinical laboratory. Apart from therapy and management, the section is involved in expanding the use of current therapies such as high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell re-infusion as well as modern international protocols of treatment. Since AKUH now has a fully equipped and operational Radiation Therapy facility, the section of Haematology/Oncology works in collaboration with radiation oncologists in designing optimal patient treatment, when necessary. Located in the newly built Ibn Zuhr Building, the Oncology Day Care unit is a specially designed facility for patients suffering from various benign and malignant disorders. The Day Care unit offers various diagnostic and therapeutic modalities including blood transfusions for patients with thalassaemia, other types of blood component infusion therapy and outpatient cancer chemotherapy for all types of malignant diseases. The Oncology Day Care unit has a total of 28 beds.

Fully equipped and state-of-the-art Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit started performing Allogeneic and Autologous Transplants in June 2004 for various benign and malignant disorders. This is currently a three-bed facility with HEPA filters and Positive Pressure Ventilation. Considering the patient burden, the facility is being doubled to four beds by the end of 2007.

Research Activities/Programmes

The section is also actively involved in research and scholarly activities designed to expand the existing medical knowledge base and improve patient care in the areas of blood diseases and cancer. Faculty members in the section of Haematology/Oncology are among the most academically productive within the Department of Medicine, and areas of research focus include breast cancer management, febrile neutropenia, use of cytokine therapy in cancer and leukaemia/lymphoma. The section is also actively involved in phase II and III evaluation of new investigational cancer drugs.

Educational Programmes/Undergraduate and Postgraduate Training

A Postgraduate Medical Oncology Fellowship programme offered by the section started in 2003. This is the second such programme within the country and will train physicians to become leaders in the field of Oncology.

Haematology - Oncology Section Aga Khan University