Feature: Cancer children in Egypt enjoy high survival rate

In the heart of Egypt's capital Cairo, thousands of children with cancer receive free treatment at the Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357, the largest child cancer hospital in the world.

"My daughter can go back to school now after she received cancer treatment here," Mahmoud Salama said as his six-year-old daughter received a chemotherapy treatment at the hospital.

His daughter suffered from constant headache four months ago and cannot concentrate well. The doctor gave her tests which showed benign brain tumor.

"I directly came here after she was diagnosed with benign brain tumor," said Salama, who lives in Tanta city, 92 km north of Cairo. "She was carefully diagnosed again and had a surgery to remove some fluids from the skull within less than 24 hours."

Although it is benign tumor, doctors warned that a resection operation might cause difficulties with sight, speech or movement, and suggested chemotherapy to freeze the tumor.

Salama said that the hospital is a great institution for fighting childhood cancer, adding that it provides care with highest quality for free and without any discrimination.

"I find no words to describe the great treatment and care at the hospital. I paid nothing since I came here although the treatment costs thousands of U.S. dollars," Salama said.

Shaymaa Mustafa, in her 30s, was carefully observing her five-year-son receiving chemotherapy session who came to the hospital in August last year.

"After several tests, my son was diagnosed with malignant tumor in the brain. He was directly transferred here where he had received a surgery to remove part of the tumor," she said, adding that the condition of her son is stable.

Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357, with 13 units, is considered a heaven for children with cancer not only from Egypt, but also from the Middle East and Africa.

The hospital was built in 2007 and is completely depending on donations from Egyptians and people from all over the world through the non-profit Children's Cancer Hospital Foundation.

The interior furnishing of the hospital utilize natural light, and the selective use of color is intended to make it an appealing place for children. The patient rooms are single or semi-private to reduce the risk of infection for the immune-compromised patients.

This project helped the hospital achieve a 73.2 percent overall survival rate of the cancer patients, reaching the line of a 75-80 percent rate usually achieved in western countries.

It is also pursuing to create a new healthcare system for more scientific approaches practiced in management and treatment.

"We are treating thousands of children and there is a lot of pressure from the patients and the parents. Can you imagine a child coming to our hospital but we have no bed to offer?" said Dr. Hanaa Farid, director of Fundraising Department of the hospital.

The hospital is speeding up in building a new campus nearby which will hold five buildings on a land that has been allocated by the Egyptian government.

She added that the proton therapy building will be equipped with advanced radiotherapy equipments which will minimize side effects. It has a higher degree of tumor ablation and will also be available for adult patients.

"This will increase the number of patents coming from the Arab world, from Africa and even from Western Europe because this is only equipment in this area," she said, adding that it will bring more income to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a health sciences academy building will be available for Egypt and all countries in the region to breed a new generation of healthcare professionals, she said.

The colorful play areas in the hospital are always full of children, with many volunteers who come to breathe hope into these children through drawing, painting, music and play sessions.

"We are doing our best to ensure free healthcare with high quality to alleviate the suffering of children with cancer and their families," Dr. Farid said. Endit