1.
May 22, 2013
Dr. Sait:
I am pleased to write a review of my meeting with you and your staff at the
Gynecology Oncology Unit of King Abdullaziz University Hospital on Sunday, May
12, 2013.
The Scientific Chair of Professor Abdullah Hussain Basalamah for Gynecologic
Cancer program presentation:
Present: Dr. Khalid Sait, Dr. Nisreen Anfinan, Dr. Daniel Smith, Ms. Madi
Florendo, Rowaida Al Mehy, Faten Anfanan, Reem Al Quibiadi.
Initially, we reviewed the presence of gynecologic oncologists in the Kingdom,
specifically in Jeddah. Since your coming in 1999 as the first GYN Oncologist,
the shift in care of patients with gynecologic malignancies has definitely swung
to specialty care delivered by specialists. With Dr. Nisreen Anfinan joining you
two years ago, you have been able to devote more time to programmatic issues
and research.
Establishing the Scientific Chair of Professor Abdullah Hussain Basalamah for
Gynecologic Cancer is the result of identifying important goals of service and
obtaining adequate support. In the two years of your program’s existence, I see
much to admire.
You presented a number of areas of interest. I would like to address each
separately:
1. Population research
Finding little information concerning incidence or survival of women in
the Kingdom with gynecologic cancers, you have begun a program to
obtain these data. Such information is important for two reasons: 1) it
will demonstrate disease prevalence and focus health resources to
these most pressing problems and 2) it will demonstrate the
effectiveness of current cancer care and allow for necessary
improvement.

2.
2. Jeddah Cervical Screening Program
The program provides screening, diagnosis, and treatment in one
center. It is free and open to Saudi and non-Saudi women. The ability for
continuous follow-up and recall are a part of the program. The stated
objectives are to decrease the incidence of cervical cancer by providing
early detection and treatment of women with both pre-invasive and
invasive cervical disease.
Certainly, this is a worthy project. Again, we discussed the lack of data in
Saudia for women with cervical disease. Your program will certainly
gather important data from your area. In addition, you are addressing the
issue of high risk Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) presence and its
association with cervical changes. This is new and important work.
We did discuss the issue of obtaining specimens from the broadest range
of women. As discussed, there has been demonstrated success using
patient-performed testing in other countries. The tests are distributed and
collected by neighborhood health care workers and might afford a broader
sampling size for your statistical data and, more importantly, help you to
discover more women with cervical disease.
3. Gestational Trophoblastic Center
Recognizing the presence of the disease in the Kingdom and the
probability of cure in most cases if internationally standardized staging and
treatment are applied, you have established this center in the Jeddah
region. Using the WHO Staging System and recognized treatment plans,
stratified for patient risk, you should quickly develop a strong reputation
for excellence in diagnosing and treating this relatively rare disease, which
is often fatal if not properly handled.
As in other areas of the world, establishing a Center of Excellence in any
area will draw attention and leadership in the area. In the US and Great
Britain, there are few true Gestational Trophoblastic Centers; however,
those few have set standards for diagnosis and care and have major
importance in treatment and training of care in their respective countries.
My prediction is that your center is now unique and approaching a problem
which can be solved following internationally accepted standards. I
believe that the importance of you program will be recognized nationally
and should become the Saudi Center of Excellence [in Gestational
Trophoblastic Neoplasia].

3.
4. We then discussed other programs
a. National Cancer Screening Program
b. Colposcopy clinics
c. Etc.
The Scientific Chair of Professor Abdullah Hussain Basalamah for Gynecologic
Cancer has entered into projects which will advance the cancer care of women
Saudia. Additionally, it adheres to internationally established standards of
diagnosis and care. Thus, this program may well lead Saudia into the
mainstream of medicine as practiced world-wide.
Looking forward, we have planned a Tumor Board Symposium for this October.
Physicians in Jeddah and New York will discuss contemporary and problematic
cases live – via instant audio and video connection. Radiology images and
pathology slides will be available for all to see and to review. From our first
symposium, I expect this to be a stellar experience for all.
As an observation, looking at the posters on the walls of the King Abdulaziz
University Hospital, I became aware of over ten programs sponsored the
Scientific Chair of Professor Abdullah Hussain Basalamah for Gynecologic Cancer
or the Gynecological Oncology Unit. The breadth of the programs, from issues of
public health to the detailed treatment of cancer, impressed me that Dr. Sait has
moved beyond the practice of medicine and has assumed a leadership role in
education of women and physicians.
Although my visit in Saudia was my first and was short, I strongly believe that
the efforts of the Scientific Chair of Professor Abdullah Hussain Basalamah for
Gynecologic Cancer under the direction of Dr. Sait and his team is a vitally
important program for the healthcare of women in Saudi Arabia.
I would welcome more opportunities of collaboration and/or opportunities to
participate in the teaching programs in the Kingdom.

4.
The Surgical Skills Laboratory in the King Abdullaziz University Hospital is
marvelous. I have visited skill centers in Tel Aviv and New York which purport to
be the ‘top of the line.’ Trust me, under the direction of Dr. Haitham S.
Abdulmajeed and the site director Su, your unit is the best that I have seen. You
have the manikins, the clinical space, the trainers in surgical skills and surgical
procedures, and open access. Never, have I seen such a comprehensive
program.
Believing that the surgical instruction of the future should embrace surgical skills
labs, I wholeheartedly support the lab which you have. Looking at the plans for
the future lab, I encourage you to involve all health care professionals in the
various aspects of this sentinel program in medical education.
The future is in progress in training, educating, discovery, and collaboration.
Your center could be a model for any progressive medical education system
anywhere… especially the USA.
Dr Daniel Smith