Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Leverages AI For Cancer Care

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi recently inaugurated the Fatima bint Mubarak Center. The new comprehensive cancer center includes advanced imaging, infusion, radiation, and chemotherapy and has integrated AI in many areas including screening, diagnostics, robotic surgery, radiotherapy, and automated compounding for individualized therapeutics.

The new cancer center is named in honor of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the mother of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the current President of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi. According to Cleveland Clinic, the name recognizes a gift from the UAE to Cleveland Clinic made in the name of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak.

“Introducing technologies such as these make treatment solutions more accurate and effective and helps in minimizing resulting side effects. We will continue to adopt and introduce such innovative approaches that prioritize the highest quality of patient care.”

Dr. Fady Geara, Chair, Radiation Oncology, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Ethos adaptive radiotherapy

The Fatima bint Mubarak Center introduced Ethos adaptive radiotherapy to the UAE. This AI enabled technology allows medical teams to adapt a patient’s treatment plan in real-time and reduces treatment time to 30 minutes which decreases exposure to radiation. The Center is currently using this technology to treat pelvic, abdominal, bladder, and prostate cancers.

Chemotherapy Robot

The center uses a state of the art chemotherapy robot to prepare individual doses of patient-specific chemotherapy. The robot operates at the highest global standards to ensure that safe and accurate medications are delivered to each patient. The robot prepares chemotherapy for patients in an isolated and sanitized environment. The robot offers numerous benefits. The robot improves patient safety, eliminates human error, increases efficiency, reduces operating costs, facilitates automated record-keeping, and streamlines inventory management. This is the first and only chemo robot in the UAE.

“What we’re doing is here is completely novel, and none of it would be possible without the determination and leadership of nurses. We’ve created the most healing environment possible, always with patients in mind. For the first time, the people of Abu Dhabi now have access to sophisticated cancer screening and diagnostic testing, advanced radiation treatments, and precision cellular therapies — all in one location and provided by a world-class multidisciplinary team.”

Zeina Kassem, DNP, RN, Director of oncology and transplant programs, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Fatima bint Mubarak Center Highlights

• 9 floors
• 161,458 square feet
• ?32 examination rooms
• 2 procedure rooms
• 24 private infusion rooms for administering medications intravenously
• The chemotherapy infusion rooms are located around the exterior of the building, providing natural light and views of the region’s surrounding islands.
• An area devoted exclusively to breast cancer and women’s oncology services.
• Areas for critical support services to reduce psychological stress including several gardens and areas for meditation and prayer.
• A special mentoring program designed to provide patients with confidential, one-on-one advice and support from a trained volunteer and cancer survivor.
• The first Comprehensive Lifestyle Medicine Program in the region to support cancer patients with the expertise of a lifestyle medicine doctor, physiotherapist, psychologist, and dietitian.

"For the first time, Cleveland Clinic will bring cancer clinical trials from North America to the Middle East. This will establish a foundation for patients to have access to the latest and best treatments, from early to late stages of disease.”

Stephen Grobmyer, M.D., Chair, Oncology Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is the result of an agreement signed in 2006 between Cleveland Clinic and Mubadala Investment Company to support Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030 to develop a world-class healthcare sector in the Emirate. The Fatima bint Mubarak Center has prioritized patient experience, research, innovation, and cutting-edge technology such as AI to transform cancer care. The Center plans to use AI to increase access to clinical trials, develop novel therapies, conduct research to understand the causes of side effects of cancer treatments and to manage the side effects, and to prevent and treat pediatric cancers. AI will also be used in precision oncology which enables clinicians to provide specific care based on a patient’s genetic makeup.

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Copyright ? 2023 Margaretta Colangelo. All Rights Reserved.

This article was written by?Margaretta Colangelo.?Margaretta is a leading AI analyst who tracks significant milestones in AI in healthcare. She consults with AI healthcare companies and writes about some of the companies she consults with. Margaretta serves on the advisory board of the AI Precision Health Institute at the University of Hawai?i?Cancer Center?@realmargaretta