Fakous Cancer Center

The Fakous Cancer Center.

Historical Background
The Arab Republic of Egypt is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world’s oldest and most significant monuments and artifacts. The Nile Valley has supported human habitation for at least 5,000 years. Today, Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world, with nearly all inhabitants concentrated along the banks of the Nile River. This means that approximately 99% of the population occupies only 5.5% of the total land area.

In recent years, Egypt has given high priority to the provision of public health services, with an emphasis on preventive care. Yet despite the government’s commitment to improve the coverage and quality of health care delivery, health facilities and staff are concentrated in urban areas, particularly Cairo and Alexandria. The National Cancer Institute in Cairo and regional cancer centers conduct most cancer control activities in Egypt.

The Institution
The Fakous Cancer Center was established as a nonprofit rural cancer center to address a growing need for cancer medicine in the Egyptian Delta region. Before it opened in the governorate of Sharkeya, residents lacked ready access to health care and quite a large percentage of the population suffered from cancer which, consequently, had a high mortality rate, particularly among women and children. Before 1987, the only option for patients from the region was to travel to the National Cancer Institute in Cairo, 120 kilometers away, for care. Under the leadership of Sherif Omar, a professor of surgical oncology affiliated with NCI-Cairo, chairman of the medical committee in the Egyptian parliament at that time (and now chairman of education and the scientific research committee), a group of friends and patrons established a charitable foundation, The Philanthropic Medical Society, in order to create a free cancer clinic in Fakous City (pop. 667,000). The philanthropists later expanded their efforts, with the help of the Al Ahram daily newspaper, to raise the funds needed to build the first nongovernmental cancer center in Egypt.

Item	Consultants	Specialists & Residents	Total
Surgery	7	8	15
Anesthesia & ICU	2	2	4
Radiology	3	2	5
Pathology Laboratories Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy	3	2	5
Pediatric Oncology	7	3	10
Internal Medicine	2	-	2
Urology	2	1	3
All consultants are MD and/or FRCS. All residents had Master Degree (MSc).
FCC employs 94 staff, including 45 physicians, 32 nurses and 17 technicians.

When the free clinic opened in Fakous, doctors received more than 80 patients a day, many of whom needed surgery, post-operative care, diagnostic testing and treatment facilities that the clinic could not provide. The Philantropic Medical Society therefore agreed to try to raise funds to build a cancer center in Fakous City and, within a year, the foundation had raised more than $1 million USD. Of that sum, more than half was earmarked for medical equipment.

In 1990, the Fakous Cancer Center was erected on the site of an old cattle market covering 1,000 square meters on a piece of land totaling an acre in size. The idea for the new facility was to integrate tertiary services with the primary health care facilities, and consideration was given to the physical, social and spiritual needs of the patients. The surrounding gardens and an aviary bring a sense of peace and serenity to the medical facility, which admits about 100 patients a month.

Units Radiotherapy Radiodiagnosis Pediatric Oncology Histopathology Clinical Pathology Laboratory Dialysis – five machines Lectures and Seminars Hall Rehabilitation/Pain Clinic Data Registry Resources Total Beds 52 Cobalt Radiotherapy units (2D Planning System) 1 Rehabilitation/ Pain Clinic Data Registry Patients Seen New cancer patients (2005) 986 Pediatric cancer patients (2005) 22 Total outpatients (2005) 16,815 Training Workshops Organization of Congresses Health Management in non-governmental organizations Quality control in health services Management of health projects Institutional evaluation and capacity building Result-based management and information systems Customized quality management Curriculum of Physician Training Leukemia Lymphoma Solid tumors BMT Palliative treatment and pain management Blood products Oncological Emergencies Statistics, epidemiology, genetics Management Guidelines and supportive care

The hospital’s administration also fulfills an important role in the social fabric of the community, offering jobs and job training to men and women alike. The facility employs 247 persons, including 94 medical staff, and is sensitive to gender issues that often marginalize the women of Egypt. When cancer devastates a family and leaves orphaned children, FCC steps in to help provide for them; more than 1,200 orphans of cancer fatalities have been assisted thus far.

In 2006, FCC embraced the UICC’s World Cancer Campaign initiative, “My Child Matters,” working to detect, diagnose and treat children with cancer among the population of eight villages and slum areas in central Fakous. All pediatric patients receive required laboratory tests and medications free of charge. Other outreach projects focus on creating awareness about childhood cancer and breast cancer through public and professional education. FCC has trained 45 “pioneer” social workers to conduct home visits. The initiative has reached 10,000 women in the area. In February 2007, FCC sponsored its first professional training program, addressing 45 primary health care physicians on the importance of early detection.

Nearly sixty percent of the 250 persons employed at the FCC are women.

Today, the 52-bed Fakous Cancer Center collaborates with a number of national and international organizations, including INCTR. With many of its physicians trained at NCI-Cairo, and with an efficient cancer registry in place, FCC has become recognized as a research center capable of participating in national initiatives pertaining to cancer control.

Dr. Sherif Omar, founder and chairman of the Board of Fakous Cancer Center, contributed to this article, prepared by Marcia Landskroener
for INCTR.