His Excellency Ahmed Al Mazrouei and Dr. Edward Miller Open the First Annual Asia & Middle East NCCN Symposium
Tawam Hospital hosts the three day Symposium in AL Ain

Al Ain, UAE,
February 21 2008:
His Excellency Ahmed Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD), and Edward D. Miller, MD Dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, will open today the first annual Asia & Middle East National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines in oncology symposium; “Decision Making in Oncology: Evidence and Consensus”. Tawam Hospital, in collaboration with the NCCN and Prime Oncology, will host the three day symposium at Al Ain's Intercontinental Hotel from February 20st through to the 22rd.

The symposium marks the first regional meeting for NCCN and leading international nonprofit organizations. At the symposium, participants hope to pave the way for developing regional oncology guidelines tailored to local needs and resources in order to improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of oncology practices. .

Mr. Michael E. Heindel, CEO of Tawam Hospital, said: "Tawam Hospital is delighted to be part of this conference along with NCCN and Prime Oncology. One of the new advanced techniques to be discussed is the use of targeted therapy. We also have the pleasure of being host to several of our colleagues from Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore."

A key area of focus the conference will be targeted cancer therapies, treatments using drugs to attack specific molecular targets on the cancer cells, destroying the cancer cells but leaving the healthy cells unharmed. These evolving new therapies are in contrast to more toxic chemotherapy-based treatments. With targeted cancer therapies, chemotherapy may not always be required, sparing patients from the side effects of conventional chemotherapy, which can include hair loss, bone marrow suppression and nausea.

"At Tawam Hospital, our premium oncology centers are renowned across the region with patients seeking our treatments from across the GCC. With new techniques such as that of Targeted Therapies, it is essential that oncologists share their expertise and even more important for there to be standardized guidelines specialized for the region taking into account local needs and requirements. This symposium is the first of its kind in the region and the first step to achieving this focusing on breast, lung, head and neck, colorectal, HCC and gastric cancer," added Heindel.

Other Johns Hopkins Medicine key note speakers at the symposium are David S. Ettinger M.D., and Arlene A. Forastiere, M.D. Dr. Forastiere, Professor of Oncology and Otolaryngology, specializing in Head and Neck Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and an active staff member at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Ettinger is the Alex Grass Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is also a professor of medicine, otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, and radiation oncology and molecular radiation sciences. He is a member of the board of directors of the NCCN as well as a member of the NCCN Guidelines Steering Committee.

The NCCN is a non profit alliance of 21 leading cancer centers in the USA and is an authoritative source, developing widely recognized and used treatment guidelines for most cancers.  The NCCN Member Institution, as the most authoritative source of credible expert advice in oncology, is committed to further facilitate the transfer of knowledge and education to colleagues specializing in oncology around the world.

Tawam Hospital is recognized as a world-class healthcare institution. Through its affiliation to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the institution is committed to bring the Hopkins excellence in management, clinical standards, research and education to all its patients.