SEHA helps patient overcome rare ‘1% stomach cancer'

Multidisciplinary team deployed to operate on 76-year-old patient with highly aggressive cancer.

Abu Dhabi-UAE. 12 August 2024 – A multidisciplinary team at SEHA, a subsidiary of PureHealth, the largest healthcare platform in the Middle East, has successfully treated a rare and aggressive form of stomach cancer. The case involved a 76-year-old female patient diagnosed with a neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the stomach, a malignancy affecting less than 1 per cent of stomach cancers.

Because NECs, with an annual incidence rate of just 0.5 per cent, are so rare, and their symptoms so nonspecific, it means there are few evidence-based guidelines for management. Doctors said the case underscores SEHA's multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and management of such rare and challenging diseases.

The patient, a 76-year-old female, presented with pain in their abdomen. A CT scan revealed a malignant-looking gastric ulcer and a concerning lesion in the liver. A biopsy confirmed a high-grade, aggressive, rare tumour, which had a Ki-67 proliferation index reaching 90 per cent. This index measures how fast cancer cells are dividing – a Ki-67 proliferation index over 30 per cent is considered high.

Dr. Solomon Kuruvilla P John, a leading specialist involved in the case, commented: “This case underscores the need for a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach in managing rare and challenging malignancies. This case report highlights the importance of thorough workup, evidence-based decision making, and comprehensive treatment planning to optimise patient outcomes.”

The collaborative multidisciplinary approach involved pre-operative nutritional optimisation via a feeding tube to enhance the patient's overall health for surgery. Minimally invasive surgery aimed to remove all cancerous tissue. Following surgery, detailed histopathology analysis confirmed the tumour type and its spread, informing further treatment decisions. Finally, post-operative monitoring with imaging scans ensured complete tumour removal and checked for any signs of recurrence.

SEHA is committed to advancing healthcare through innovative approaches and collaborative efforts in line with PureHealth's mission to expand lifespans and health spans.