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Medical Oncology

The very best in cancer treatment...

Zulekha Hospital cancer care center is a dedicated facility providing a range of Medical Oncology and Hematology services for all forms of cancers providing traditional cancer treatment options of Surgery, Chemotherapy, and Palliative care.

The center is dedicated to providing a range of Medical, Surgical Oncology and Hematology services for all forms of cancers and haematological malignancy, with a dedicated team led by Medical & Surgical Oncologists. The services we offer in medical oncology are listed below:

Early Screening For All Types Of Cancer:

  • Breast Cancer
  • Gastrointestinal Cancer
  • Ovarian Cancer
  • Cervical Cancer
  • Uterine Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Bone Cancer
  • Head & Neck Cancer
  • Brain Tumors
  • Liver Cancer
  • Testicular Cancer

Diagnosis & Treatment Of Haematological Cancer:

  • Acute Leukemia
  • Chronic Leukemia
  • Lymphoma
  • Myelora
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes
  • ALSO: The diagnosis & treatment of all pediatric solid tumors & blood cancer

Surgical Oncology

Services Offered in Surgical Oncology:

  • Breast cancer procedures (Radical and conservative surgeries in addition to oncoplastic surgeries)
  • Thyroid & neck surgery procedures including all kinds of neck dissection procedures
  • Gynecologic procedures (Including radical hysterectomy for gynecologic cancers, abdominal and pelvic lymph node dissection)
  • Gastric and colorectal cancer procedures (Curative and palliative procedures)
  • Other abdominal and digestive cancers (Pancreatic, liver surgery and urologic)
  • Soft tissue tumors & melanoma
  • Onco & plastic skin procedures (Including plastic flaps and reconstructive surgeries, abdominoplasty)

Radiation Therapy

What is radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. X-rays, gamma rays, and charged particles are types of radiation used for cancer treatment.

The radiation may be delivered by a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy, also called brachytherapy).

Systemic radiation therapy uses radioactive substances, such as radioactive iodine, that travel in the blood to kill cancer cells.

About half of all cancer patients receive some type of radiation therapy sometime during the course of their treatment.

Where is treatment carried out?

Radiation therapy is carried out at our sister Hospital, Alexis Multispecialty Hospital, with state of the art equipment, facilities and experienced faculty & staff, is wholly committed to highly personalized and comprehensive cancer care. Patient centric focus, multidisciplinary approach, personalized, cost effective solutions with utmost care to all medical needs of the patient coupled with administrative needs are meticulously looked into by a team of experienced medical and administrative teams.

Patients are the focus of everything done at Alexis, where they are informed of all ongoing progress. Their mission is to advance patient care, education and research continuously to change the course of cancer care. We are best known for our leading edge cancer therapies and we take particular pride in the compassion and dedication of our doctors, nurses and other health care staff.

The sole focus at Alexis is to cure cancer. They follow the current standards of care and treatment protocols for each type and stage of cancer. Their doctors have unprecedented expertise in diagnosing and treating all types of cancer and they use the latest technology and the most innovative, advanced therapies to increase the chances of a cure.

How does radiation therapy kill cancer cells?

Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by damaging their DNA (the molecules inside cells that carry genetic information and pass it from one generation to the next). Radiation therapy can either damage DNA directly or create charged particles (free radicals) within the cells that can in turn damage the DNA.

Cancer cells whose DNA is damaged beyond repair stop dividing or die. When the damaged cells die, they are broken down and eliminated by the body’s natural processes.

Does radiation therapy kill only cancer cells?

No, radiation therapy can also damage normal cells, leading to side effects.

Doctors take potential damage to normal cells into account when planning a course of radiation therapy. The amount of radiation that normal tissue can safely receive is known for all parts of the body. Doctors use this information to help them decide where to aim radiation during treatment.

Why do patients receive radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy is sometimes given with curative intent (that is, with the hope that the treatment will cure a cancer, either by eliminating a tumor, preventing cancer recurrence, or both). In such cases, radiation therapy may be used alone or in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, or both.

Radiation therapy may also be given with palliative intent. Palliative treatments are not intended to cure. Instead, they relieve symptoms and reduce the suffering caused by cancer.

Some examples of palliative radiation therapy are:

  • Radiation given to the brain to shrink tumors formed from cancer cells that have spread to the brain from another part of the body (metastases).
  • Radiation given to shrink a tumor that is pressing on the spine or growing within a bone, which can cause pain.
  • Radiation given to shrink a tumor near the esophagus, which can interfere with a patient’s ability to eat and drink.
How is radiation therapy planned for an individual patient?

A radiation oncologist develops a patient’s treatment plan through a process called treatment planning, which begins with simulation.

During simulation, detailed imaging scans show the location of a patient’s tumor and the normal areas around it. These scans are usually computed tomography (CT) scans, but they can also include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound scans.

CT scans are often used in treatment planning for radiation therapy. During CT scanning, pictures of the inside of the body are created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine.

During simulation and daily treatments, it is necessary to ensure that the patient will be in exactly the same position every day relative to the machine delivering the treatment or doing the imaging. Body molds, head masks, or other devices may be constructed for an individual patient to make it easier for a patient to stay still. Temporary skin marks and even tattoos are used to help with precise patient positioning.

Patients getting radiation to the head may need a mask. The mask helps keep the head from moving so that the patient is in the exact same position for each treatment.

After simulation, the radiation oncologist then determines the exact area that will be treated, the total radiation dose that will be delivered to the tumor, how much dose will be allowed for the normal tissues around the tumor, and the safest angles (paths) for radiation delivery.

The staff working with the radiation oncologist (including physicists and dosimetrists) use sophisticated computers to design the details of the exact radiation plan that will be used. After approving the plan, the radiation oncologist authorizes the start of treatment. On the first day of treatment, and usually at least weekly after that, many checks are made to ensure that the treatments are being delivered exactly the way they were planned.

Radiation doses for cancer treatment are measured in a unit called a gray (Gy), which is a measure of the amount of radiation energy absorbed by 1 kilogram of human tissue. Different doses of radiation are needed to kill different types of cancer cells.

Radiation can damage some types of normal tissue more easily than others. For example, the reproductive organs (testicles and ovaries) are more sensitive to radiation than bones. The radiation oncologist takes all of this information into account during treatment planning.

If an area of the body has previously been treated with radiation therapy, a patient may not be able to have radiation therapy to that area a second time, depending on how much radiation was given during the initial treatment. If one area of the body has already received the maximum safe lifetime dose of radiation, another area might still be treated with radiation therapy if the distance between the two areas is large enough.

The area selected for treatment usually includes the whole tumor plus a small amount of normal tissue surrounding the tumor. The normal tissue is treated for two main reasons:

  • To take into account body movement from breathing and normal movement of the organs within the body, which can change the location of a tumor between treatments.
  • To reduce the likelihood of tumor recurrence from cancer cells that have spread to the normal tissue next to the tumor (called microscopic local spread).
Why are some types of radiation therapy given in many small doses?

Patients who receive most types of external-beam radiation therapy usually have to travel to the hospital or an outpatient facility up to 5 days a week for several weeks. One dose (a single fraction) of the total planned dose of radiation is given each day. Occasionally, two treatments a day are given.

Most types of external-beam radiation therapy are given in once-daily fractions. There are two main reasons for once-daily treatment:

  • To minimize the damage to normal tissue.
  • To increase the likelihood that cancer cells are exposed to radiation at the points in the cell cycle when they are most vulnerable to DNA damage.

In recent decades, doctors have tested whether other fractionation schedules are helpful, including:

  • Accelerated fractionation - treatment given in larger daily or weekly doses to reduce the number of weeks of treatment.
  • Hyperfractionation - smaller doses of radiation given more than once a day.
  • Hypofractionation - larger doses given once a day or less often to reduce the number of treatments.

Researchers hope that different types of treatment fractionation may either be more effective than traditional fractionation or be as effective but more convenient.

When will a patient get radiation therapy?

A patient may receive radiation therapy before, during, or after surgery. Some patients may receive radiation therapy alone, without surgery or other treatments. Some patients may receive radiation therapy and chemotherapy at the same time. The timing of radiation therapy depends on the type of cancer being treated and the goal of treatment (cure or palliation).

Radiation therapy given before surgery is called pre-operative or neoadjuvant radiation. Neoadjuvant radiation may be given to shrink a tumor so it can be removed by surgery and be less likely to return after surgery.

Radiation therapy given during surgery is called intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT). IORT can be external-beam radiation therapy (with photons or electrons) or brachytherapy. When radiation is given during surgery, nearby normal tissues can be physically shielded from radiation exposure. IORT is sometimes used when normal structures are too close to a tumor to allow the use of external-beam radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy given after surgery is called post-operative or adjuvant radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy given after some types of complicated surgery (especially in the abdomen or pelvis) may produce too many side effects; therefore, it may be safer if given before surgery in these cases.

The combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy given at the same time is sometimes called chemoradiation or radiochemotherapy. For some types of cancer, the combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy may kill more cancer cells (increasing the likelihood of a cure), but it can also cause more side effects.

After cancer treatment, patients receive regular follow-up care from their oncologists to monitor their health and to check for possible cancer recurrence.

Does radiation therapy make a patient radioactive?

External-beam radiation does not make a patient radioactive.

During temporary brachytherapy treatments, while the radioactive material is inside the body, the patient is radioactive; however, as soon as the material is removed, the patient is no longer radioactive. For temporary brachytherapy, the patient will usually stay in the hospital in a special room that shields other people from the radiation.

During permanent brachytherapy, the implanted material will be radioactive for several days, weeks, or months after the radiation source is put in place. During this time, the patient is radioactive. However, the amount of radiation reaching the surface of the skin is usually very low. Nonetheless, this radiation can be detected by radiation monitors and contact with pregnant woman and young children may be restricted for a few days or weeks.

Some types of systemic radiation therapy may temporarily make a patient’s bodily fluids (such as saliva, urine, sweat, or stool) emit a low level of radiation. Patients receiving systemic radiation therapy may need to limit their contact with other people during this time, and especially avoid contact with children younger than 18 and pregnant women.

A patient’s doctor or nurse will provide more information to family members and caretakers if any of these special precautions are needed. Over time (usually days or weeks), the radioactive material retained within the body will break down so that no radiation can be measured outside the patient’s body.

What are the potential side effects of radiation therapy?

Radiation therapy can cause both early (acute) and late (chronic) side effects. Acute side effects occur during treatment, and chronic side effects occur months or even years after treatment ends. The side effects that develop depend on the area of the body being treated, the dose given per day, the total dose given, the patient’s general medical condition, and other treatments given at the same time.

Acute radiation side effects are caused by damage to rapidly dividing normal cells in the area being treated. These effects include skin irritation or damage at regions exposed to the radiation beams. Examples include damage to the salivary glands or hair loss when the head or neck area is treated, or urinary problems when the lower abdomen is treated.

Most acute effects disappear after treatment ends, though some (like salivary gland damage) can be permanent.

Fatigue is a common side effect of radiation therapy regardless of which part of the body is treated. Nausea with or without vomiting is common when the abdomen is treated and occurs sometimes when the brain is treated. Medications are available to help prevent or treat nausea and vomiting during treatment.

Late side effects of radiation therapy may or may not occur. Depending on the area of the body treated, late side effects can include:

  • Fibrosis (the replacement of normal tissue with scar tissue, leading to restricted movement of the affected area)
  • Damage to the bowels, causing diarrhea and bleeding
  • Memory loss
  • Infertility (inability to have a child)
  • Rarely, a second cancer caused by radiation exposure

Second cancers that develop after radiation therapy depend on the part of the body that was treated. For example, girls treated with radiation to the chest for Hodgkin lymphoma have an increased risk of developing breast cancer later in life. In general, the lifetime risk of a second cancer is highest in people treated for cancer as children or adolescents.

Whether or not a patient experiences late side effects depends on other aspects of their cancer treatment in addition to radiation therapy, as well as their individual risk factors. Some chemotherapy drugs, genetic risk factors, and lifestyle factors (such as smoking) can also increase the risk of late side effects.

When suggesting radiation therapy as part of a patient’s cancer treatment, the radiation oncologist will carefully weigh the known risks of treatment against the potential benefits for each patient (including relief of symptoms, shrinking a tumor, or potential cure). The results of hundreds of clinical trials and doctors’ individual experiences help radiation oncologists decide which patients are likely to benefit from radiation therapy.

Our Oncology Specialists

  • Dubai
  • Sharjah
  • Dr. Sameh Mohammed Ahmed Aboamer
  • Dr. Bharadwaj Ponnada
  • Dr. Anwar Sami Mohsin Ali Alroubaie
  • Dr. Keerthi Banavara Ravi

Dr. Sameh Mohammed Ahmed Aboamer

Medical Doctorate (MD; PHD) Degree of Surgical Oncology, European Board of Surgical Oncology (EBSQ), Master Degree (MSc) of Surgical Oncology, MB., BCH

Consultant Surgical Oncology

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Work Experience

  • Dr. Sameh Aboamer has extensive experience in the different fields of surgical oncology, cancer prevention, screening and early detection, diagnosis, surgical procedures, multidisciplinary management of different types of cancers, and reconstructive & oncoplastic procedures for the best management and cosmetic outcomes, quality of life and follow up protocols.
  • He has been working in the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, in the rank of Assistant Lecturer and then Lecturer of Surgical Oncology and also worked in Agouza police hospital and the medical services sector hospitals of the Ministry of Interior, Egypt.
  • Dr. Sameh has served as a Consultant of Surgical Oncology in Kuwait Cancer Control Center (KCCC) under the Ministry of Health, Kuwait.
  • He has alos worked with the Cancer Center of Princess Margret Hospital and the University Health Network (UHN), Canada, a Canadian partnership with KCCC.
  • Dr. Sameh holds a Medical Doctorate (MD) degree of surgical oncology from National Cancer Institute of Cairo University and European Board of Surgical Oncology (EBSQ), Brusseles, Belgium

Dr. Bharadwaj Ponnada

MBBS,MD(Internal Medicine),DM (Medical Oncology)

Specialist Medical Oncology

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Work Experience

  • Dr. Bharadwaj has received his master degree from the Prestigious Institute: Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kerala, India. Prior to joining Zulekha Hospital Dubai he has worked in HCG Cancer Centre (HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd.), one of the largest chains of cancer hospitals in India.

Dr. Anwar Sami Mohsin Ali Alroubaie

MD and Fellowship

Consultant Medical Oncology

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Work Experience

  • Dr Anwar has over 17 years of experience in the field of Medical Oncology. Prior to joining Zulekha Hospital he was working in Saudi German Health Care Riyadh Saudi Arabia.
  • Dr Anwar accomplished his Oncology training program from Sudan. Later he served as Medical Oncologist in Saudi Arabia.
  • He earned his Consultant Medical Oncologist (Fellowship) KFMC from Saudi Arabia

Dr. Keerthi Banavara Ravi

MBBS, MS (General surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology)

Consultant Surgical Oncologist

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Work Experience

  • Dr. Keerthi Banavara Ravi has over 12 years of extensive experience in the field of Surgical Oncology. He is actively involved in diagnosis, active surgical intervention, and decision making for end-to-end patient care and management of various cancers. He specializes in open surgeries, minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries, video assisted thoracoscopy surgeries (VATS), limb salvage surgery as well as Pediatric Oncosurgery.
  • Dr. Keerthi also specializes in Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC for advanced ovarian / gastrointestinal cancers. Additionally, he has completed observership programme at NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTRE, USA in the division of surgical oncology
  • Prior to joining Zulekha Hospital Sharjah Dr. Keerthi Banavara Ravi served at Vydehi Cancer Centre, a tertiary cancer center in Bangalore, India for more than eight years. He graduated from reputed Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, India.
  • Dr. Rham Zaki Ahmed Mohamed
  • Dr. Sameh Mohammed Ahmed Aboamer
  • Dr. Roshan Koshy Jacob
  • Dr. Keerthi Banavara Ravi

Dr. Rham Zaki Ahmed Mohamed

Phd (Medical Oncology), MS (Internal Medicine), MBBch (Surgery, Medicine and ESMO (European Society Member of Oncology).

Consultant Oncologist

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Work Experience

  • She was a Lecturer of medical oncology at the Medical Oncology Department at Zagazig University Faculty of Medicine from 2011 to October 2014.,
  • Assistant lecturer at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University and Faculty of Medicine at Zagazig University from 2004 – 2011.
  • She has worked in many local and private hospitals in Egypt such as: the Cairo National Cancer Institute in Zagazig University Hospital and Al Taesier, Aloubour Hospital.

Dr. Sameh Mohammed Ahmed Aboamer

Medical Doctorate (MD; PHD) Degree of Surgical Oncology, European Board of Surgical Oncology (EBSQ), Master Degree (MSc) of Surgical Oncology, MB., BCH

Consultant Surgical Oncology

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Work Experience

  • Dr. Sameh Aboamer has extensive experience in the different fields of surgical oncology, cancer prevention, screening and early detection, diagnosis, surgical procedures, multidisciplinary management of different types of cancers, and reconstructive & oncoplastic procedures for the best management and cosmetic outcomes, quality of life and follow up protocols.
  • He has been working in the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, in the rank of Assistant Lecturer and then Lecturer of Surgical Oncology and also worked in Agouza police hospital and the medical services sector hospitals of the Ministry of Interior, Egypt.
  • Dr. Sameh has served as a Consultant of Surgical Oncology in Kuwait Cancer Control Center (KCCC) under the Ministry of Health, Kuwait.
  • He has alos worked with the Cancer Center of Princess Margret Hospital and the University Health Network (UHN), Canada, a Canadian partnership with KCCC.
  • Dr. Sameh holds a Medical Doctorate (MD) degree of surgical oncology from National Cancer Institute of Cairo University and European Board of Surgical Oncology (EBSQ), Brusseles, Belgium

Dr. Roshan Koshy Jacob

MBBS, MD General Medicine, PGP Diab, DM Medical Oncology, DrNB Medical Oncology, ECMO, MRCP-SCE

Consultant Medical Oncology

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Work Experience

Dr Roshan Koshy Jacob is one of the leading medical oncologists from India. Prior to joining Zulekha Hospital he was working as a Consultant Medical Oncologist in American Oncology Institute, initially for two years at Nagpur branch and then at Baby Memorial Hospital branch in Kerala, India

He has also served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology in Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore, Karnataka. He was involved in PG teaching, patient management and Clinical trials. He has more than 10 publications during his tenure in the department.

Dr Roshan has been a Senior Resident in the Department of Medical Oncology in Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore, Karnataka. During this period he was posted as Clinical Observer in Cancer Institute Adyar, Chennai and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

He has worked as a Junior Resident in the department of General Medicine and also as a Consultant Physician in Kerala, India.

He completed his MBBS from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka and MD in General Medicine from NITTE University in Mangalore, Karnataka. He completed his post graduate program in Diabetology from John Hopkins University, USA. After his post-graduation, he earned DM in medical oncology from Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore, Karnataka, following which he served in multiple hospitals in India. He holds a DrNB medical oncology degree, ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncology) examination certificate and MRCP - Specialty Certificate Examination (SCE) in Medical Oncology.

All through these years, he has gained vast experience in treating all solid and hematological malignancies across all age groups.

Dr. Keerthi Banavara Ravi

MBBS, MS (General surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology)

Consultant Surgical Oncologist

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Work Experience

  • Dr. Keerthi Banavara Ravi has over 12 years of extensive experience in the field of Surgical Oncology. He is actively involved in diagnosis, active surgical intervention, and decision making for end-to-end patient care and management of various cancers. He specializes in open surgeries, minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries, video assisted thoracoscopy surgeries (VATS), limb salvage surgery as well as Pediatric Oncosurgery.
  • Dr. Keerthi also specializes in Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC for advanced ovarian / gastrointestinal cancers. Additionally, he has completed observership programme at NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTRE, USA in the division of surgical oncology
  • Prior to joining Zulekha Hospital Sharjah Dr. Keerthi Banavara Ravi served at Vydehi Cancer Centre, a tertiary cancer center in Bangalore, India for more than eight years. He graduated from reputed Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, India.
Book Your Oncology Consultation

advice from a qualified oncologist

Recognition

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

presenting the Dubai Quality Award to

Dr. Zulekha Daud,

Founder and Chairperson

Ms. Zanubia Shams,

Co-chairperson of Zulekha Healthcare Group.

Zulekha Hospitals is proud to receive

the Patient Satisfaction Award

Recognition is for companies receiving
an excellent satisfaction rating.

Zulekha Hospital honored with Dubai Chamber CSR Label 2016

The prestigious Dubai Chamber CSR Label was presented to Dr. Zulekha Daud, Founder and Chairperson, Zulekha Healthcare Group for the fourth consecutive year recognizing our commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

The European Accreditation Council for
Bariatric Surgery, has awarded:

Zulekha Hospital

With the Centre of Excellence for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery accreditation.

Zulekha Hospital Oncology Department
proud to be a member of UICC

Our Hospitals

Zulekha Hospital Dubai

Zulekha Hospital Dubai is a 179 bed hospital established in 2004 which offers both inpatient and outpatient care covering a wide range of medical and surgical specialties. The facility boasts state-of-the-art operation theatre arrangements, emergency services, labor rooms and includes multiple centers of excellence such as Cardiology, Plastic Surgery, General Surgery, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Urology, Gastroenterology, Dermatology and Physiotherapy.

204 Rd, Al Qusais Industrial Area, Dubai, U.A.E.

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Zulekha Hospital Sharjah

Zulekha Hospital Sharjah is a full-fledged, multi-disciplinary hospital with Out-patient and In-patient facilities. What started off as a 30 bed set up with basic facilities for gynecology, obstetrics, surgery, medicine and pediatrics in 1992, today boasts of 185 beds, sprawled over an area of 290,000 square ft.


Al Zahra Street, Sharjah, U.A.E.

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