Prof. Omar graduated in 1963 from Cairo University and was trained in surgical oncology in Paris. He studied at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in the United States and spent six months in Japan as a fellow in surgery and endoscopy. He received the World Health Organization’s Gold Medal in 1988 for his work on tobacco control. He also received the national first class decoration for science and art. A member of the Egyptian Parliament for 10 years, he was elected to lead the Health and Welfare Committee in 1995, charged with task of cancer prevention. In his country, he says, the primary means of cancer prevention is smoking cessation. “We studied the economic consequences of smoking,” he says. “A 1989 report concluded that smoking costs $400 million a year in health care costs and premature death.” In response, the government implemented laws constraining sales of tobacco products, yet disturbingly, the prevalence of smoking is increasing, particularly among women and youth.

In Egypt, the NCI and regional Cancer Centers conduct most cancer control activities. Only one cancer center is not government-sponsored—Fakous Cancer Center. Established 15 years ago, Fakous provides a new model for cancer treatment that integrates tertiary services with primary health care facilities. “We are taking treatment as well as prevention to primitive areas of the country,” Prof. Omar says. Fakous is a micro-center with 50 inpatient beds, two efficiently equipped operating rooms and radiotherapy facilities, he explains. The center has facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of both adult and pediatric patients. Most of the physicians employed are associated with NCI, Cairo, or have trained there. These physicians provide follow-up care for patients in their homes, and take educational and screening programs to the villages. “We have a very important ongoing project for the education of the population about protecting themselves from infection with hepatitis C virus, which is responsible for much of the liver cancer in Egypt,” Prof. Omar says. “We are also launching a pilot study for screening and early detection of breast cancer in eight villages.”

Beyond offering excellent health care, Sharif Omar envisioned a cost-effective cancer center that would meet the social needs of cancer patients. “It provides comprehensive intervention, including prevention, treatment and social support for the local community. Our facilities are inexpensive because of our NGO status. We are using our know-how to devise the best, but also the cheapest and easiest methods to accomplish our goals. We have the support of UICC and are recognized by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. We regularly invite professors from other countries to give lectures and to see patients,” Prof. Omar says.

The Fakous Cancer Center is also concerned with training medical personnel and providing jobs for local villagers. A program supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands brings senior nurses from Europe to Fakous, and the Center also provides resources for junior doctors to go abroad for training, The concepts of outreach extend to the community of Fakous as well as nearby regions. “One of our main goals is to provide jobs for local people,” he notes. “We aim to give them job skills and an opportunity to improve their lives.”