Dr. Maha Abdel Hadi is a Sudanese national, a graduate from West High School, IOWA USA in 1 977 who obtained her DMBBS from the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, King Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia in 1984.

Dr. Maha has received her training in Saudi Arabia and Ireland. Dr. Maha was awarded Fellow of Irish College of Surgeons in 1989, certified as an Instructor for the ATLS in 1996 and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 2001.

 

Dr. Maha is currently a consultant in general and breast surgery a position she held since 1 994 and she has also been an Associate Professor of Surgery at King Faisal University, Dammam since 2001. Dr. Maha and her team members have accepted the major health problems of female population as a challenge and has become highly efficient and able in general surgery, breast and laparoscopic surgery.

 

Dr. Maha founded and helped in establishing a Breast Specialty Clinic at the University Hospital in 2000 which was the first to be recognized in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The total number of breast cases she personally attended since 1990 were more than 9000 patients.

 

In addition to her academic and clinical responsibilities, she is an active founding member and head of the patient support committee of the newly established Saudi Cancer Foundation. She also supported the establishment of several cancer support programmes and developed strategies related to cancer awareness particularly breast cancer awareness.

 

She is an active member in many international societies and associations, prominent among which are the American Society of Breast Diseases, Breast Surgery International, International Society of Surgery, BASO   the Association of Cancer Surgery and Association of Women Surgeons. Dr. Maha is also a reviewer of the medical science monitor of the Saudi Medical Journal.

 

The award winning publication, "Positive margins in breast biopsy remains a surgical challenge", by Dr. Maha Abdel Hadi was published in the Emirates Medical Journal. In recent years considerable efforts have been made towards more conservative surgery in patients with carcinoma of the breast. At surgery as much of the affected breast as possible is preserved followed by the use of local radiation therapy. This can be achieved in suitable patients with long term local recurrence and survival rates which are comparable to the standard therapy

 

of modified radical mastectomy. Breast conservation surgery is highly desirable with regard to an improved 'quality of life' and 'general well being' in patients with breast cancer. In those who undergo excisions of a breast lump and subsequent findings of a 'positive' or 'involved' resection margin then the standard treatment has been complete removal of the remaining part of the breast. Dr. Hadi's study has shown quite clearly that in these patients a re-excision without complete mastectomy may be sufficient in almost half of such patients (47%). Thus the article lends weight to the opinion that re-excision alone may be adequate without resorting to removal of the whole of the remaining breast. The authors of the paper conclude that mastectomy be reserved for those with locally advanced disease, multi focal or high grade tumors.

 

This strategy may be of major benefit to countless women who can receive optimal therapy with breast preservation.

 

Dr. Maha Abdel Hadi is awarded for her original article published in the Emirates Medical Journal from outside UAE for the year 2005-2006.