The symposium on Cancer Therapy Innovations & Clinical Updates brought participation from several hospitals and universities in the UAE. Speakers from the College of Pharmacy, GMU, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and Tawam Hospital, Al Ain shared their expertise in cancer research and practice. Health professionals working in the field of cancer had the opportunity to share their own experiences during Q&A sessions.
Cancer care is a rapidly changing clinical area with groundbreaking innovations. There is an increasing focus on providing multidisciplinary care. In this era of evidence-based practice, clinicians even look at ongoing clinical trials to provide up-to-date care to their patients.
The symposium is accredited by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, UAE for 7 CME hours. It included 7 interactive presentations integrating cancer research and practice. The presentations integrated basic sciences and clinical sciences in cancer including;
- drugs from natural sources,
- drugging the undruggable cancer targets,
- USP chapter 800 for the handling of hazardous drugs in healthcare settings,
- pharmacogenomics,
- updates in the management of hormone positive metastatic breast cancer,
- managing complications of chemotherapy, and
- patient care approaches in cancer.
The speakers and delegates of the symposium toured Thumbay University Hospital to observe modern facilities for robotic dispensing, inpatient care and the academic health system.
Dean Professor Sherief Khalifa commented on the usefulness of such events as the integration of research and practice leads to more evidence-based and patient-centered practice.