JEDDAH, 8 April 2004 — The first Saudi international symposium on bone marrow transplantation will be held here next week (April 12-14) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The announcement was made yesterday at a press conference at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH) in Jeddah which, along with the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Canada, is the organizer.
“The symposium will focus on exchanging information and the latest scientific developments in bone marrow transplantation and stem cell research as well as raising public awareness,” said Dr. Muhammed Kelta, director of the bone marrow transplantation program in Jeddah.
There will be a women’s session on the evening of April 13 at the hospital entitled “Bone Marrow Transplantation: What It Is and What Its Effects Are.”
Bone marrow transplantation has been used as a treatment for patients with different types of malignant disorders for the last several decades. It was introduced in the Middle East 20 years ago and there are now several centers, including KFSH in Jeddah which are capable of doing the transplant.
Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Homaidi, chairman of the organizing scientific committee and director of hematology and bone marrow transplantation department at KFSH in Jeddah, said: “Our current operating capacity allows for five transplantations a month but we can do up to 15.”
KFSH in Riyadh has recently completed its thousandth successful bone marrow transplantation. “By doing the job here, we save the family — financially, psychologically and socially,” said Dr. Al-Homaidi.
The procedure can cost between SR350,000 and SR500,000 and the patient usually leaves the hospital after four to six weeks. “It is free for Saudis and arrangements can be made for non-Saudis,” Dr. Al-Homaidi said.
Success depends on the type of cancer and what stage the cancer has reached. One necessary requirement for a successful outcome is the availability of a matched donor. Currently, the choice of donors includes identical twins, brothers or sisters, parents (in certain situations) and matched unrelated donors from anywhere in the world.
The stem cells (the cells required to generate the marrow) are now collected not only from the bone marrow but also from peripheral blood as well as from the umbilical cords of newborn babies.
“We plan on having a ‘bank’ of collected cells from umbilical cords within a year because research has shown that cells from an umbilical cord that are unmatched with the patient can be used,” said Dr. Al-Homaidi.
The problem with extracting stem cells from an umbilical cord is that the amount is insufficient to treat adults so the cells have to be collected and multiplied in a laboratory.
