Press Release Regarding Upcoming International Fellowship Signing Ceremony, Due to Take Place September 21st, 2012

Tag Archives: pediatric hospital

Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center to partner with Egypt Cancer Network and Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt

Creating Egypt-based fellowship training program for physicians from Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa Region

BOSTON – Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center is announcing a partnership with the Egypt Cancer Network and Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt in an effort to improve childhood cancer survival rates and outcomes within Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa. The organizations are collaborating to create an Egypt-based fellowship training program in pediatric oncology for physicians in those regions.

“Since beginning a twinning program between the Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center and the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt in 2006, we have seen significant improvement in the outcome of pediatric cancer patients in Egypt,” said Mark Kieran, MD, PhD, director of medical neuro-oncology at Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center and member of the medical advisory board for the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357’s pediatric oncology fellowship program. “However, there is still a shortage of expertise and resources needed to treat children with cancer in this region.”

“The fellowship is designed to improve the childhood cancer survival rates and outcomes within Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa,” said Kieran. “This collaboration will allow the exchange of information, knowledge and experience for both doctors from the region and from the United States, providing the opportunity for the improvement of treatment and care practices.”

The collaboration will provide a formal fellowship framework for pediatric oncology training and mentoring for Egyptian, African and Middle Eastern pediatricians in line with international standards and will create a pool of qualified pediatric oncologists who can ensure continued progress in improving outcomes for children with cancer in this region.

As part of the fellowship, between 2 and 6 pediatric physicians from the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt will travel to Boston to work with specialists at Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC).  In addition, DF/CHCC physicians will rotate at the Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt to train oncologists there in the latest treatments and care techniques.

About the Dana-Farber / Children’s Hospital Cancer Center

Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) combines the strengths of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a world-class cancer institute, and Boston Children’s Hospital, an internationally known pediatric hospital. For over 60 years, these two Harvard Medical School affiliates have provided comprehensive care for children and adolescents with cancer. Committed to conducting research to better understand and treat childhood cancers, DF/CHCC is the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigator Consortium’s (POETIC) only Phase I Clinical Trial site in New England, and is home to one of the world’s most sophisticated and accomplished Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation centers. DF/CHCC also offers comprehensive transitional and long-term survivorship programs to childhood cancer survivors of all ages.

 

We wanted to take the opportunity to highlight some of the benefits of volunteering, as shared with us through the words and stories of our own volunteers.

Dr. Waleed El-Feky, director of Texas Neurology Sleep Disorders Center and member of ECN’s Dallas, TX Chapter, wrote:

“Getting together to organize this event to support 57357 rekindled the fire of our love and passion for our beloved home country; a fire that we have been struggling to protect from being put out by all the current winds of change in Egypt.

… Above all however, thanks to the brave children with cancer and their families at 57357 and all over Egypt for putting our efforts to good use. It’s through their struggle and bravery we get the chance to be better people… I will be happy to continue to support ECN and 57357 in any capacity I can.”

Yasmin El-Hag, Biology/Business Major at University of Dallas, TX, found inspiration in the words of Dr. Sherif Abouelnaga, Vice President of of Academic Affairs, Research and Outreach at CCHE 57357:

“He said, “Every one of us is going to die, we don’t know when, but it’s going to happen and the only thing we will be left with is what we’ve done in this world.”

… God has blessed us with a good life, elhamdlelah, and now is the time to give back. There’s no better way to give back than to give to a pediatric hospital working to improve children’s lives, working so that the victims of cancer can live.

…This is all possible if we work together. Hand in hand, the world’s largest pediatric cancer hospital will remain the best.”

Reham El Sherazi, member of the ECN Dallas Chapter who organized and hosted a hat-making event to support the Dallas Chapter Benefit held on April 7th, 2012:

“It was amazing how rewarding this activity was – I had over eight families helping at my house and we all had a lot of fun.

… The selling point were our young cheerful girls; they walked around during the event, selling these hats to people, asking them to help cheer up kids with cancer by sending them these hats.”

These are just a few of many testimonies to volunteerism with ECN. If you’re interested in volunteering or in hosting an event in your area, please contact Kristin Wagner, Special Projects Coordinator for ECN at kwagner@egyptcancernetwork.org.