Cancer Center Launches Sickle Cell Disease Program

Dr. Miguel Abboud at the center during the Sickle Cell Disease Program launch

The Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL), affiliated to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, opened at the AUB Medical Center in 2002. Two years later, with the help of his colleagues, CCCL director Dr. Miguel Abboud implemented its first educational program, one that primarily targeted the families of children suffering from cancer.

In April 2006, Dr. Abboud, who is an oncology and hematology specialist, initiated with the help of registered nurse Randa Shahine, a program at the CCCL to serve sick cell disease patients, mostly children, in addition to those suffering from cancer. In September 2007, Shahine, who specialized in oncology after earning her nursing diploma from AUB, attended a Sickle Cell Disease Convention in Washington, DC, where she updated her information on the disease and the new methods of treating it.

The knowledge gleaned from the conference led Shahine to put together an awareness booklet as part of the new sickle cell disease educational program administered by the CCCL. The booklet, written in Arabic, introduces different lifestyle options likely to palliate the negative side effects of what Shahine stressed is "a chronic, genetic disease" that requires constant medical follow-ups, as well as special attention from teachers and families alike.

In an interview with AUB Bulletin Today, Shahine announced that, as of March 24, the families of sickle cell patients will be given pre-test surveys, gauging their knowledge of the disease. The second phase of the educational program will consist of awareness-raising classes and presentations to be conducted at CCCL.

Shahine, who is a published scholar in hematology and cancer-related research, is a member of the Oncology Nurses Society and the Association of Pediatrics, Hematology, and Oncology Nurses.