womanthismonth.com | NOVEMBER 2026 HEALTH & WELLNESS 128 Personalising Cancer Care Oncologist Dr. Maha Al Sindi discusses targeted treatments, personalised medicine and the importance of supporting patients throughout treatment and life beyond cancer. Dr. Al Sindi graduated with honours from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2008. Training at Salmaniya Medical Complex was followed by UK physician membership, a master’s in cancer therapeutics at Queen Mary University of London and advanced fellowships in Dublin. She specialised in breast and gynaecological cancers through the European School of Oncology. She also trained in personalised medicine at Harvard Medical School before returning to Bahrain as a consultant at Salmaniya. She joined Bahrain Oncology Centre (BOC) at King Hamad University Hospital in late 2023. She explains: “Cancer is not a single disease, and no two patients are identical. Today, we look closely at both a patient’s personal genetics and the unique biology of their tumour.” Treatment tailored to patients Dr. Al Sindi highlights antibody-drug conjugates, which deliver medicines to cancer cells, and CDK4/6 inhibitors for hormone-positive breast cancer. Targeted maintenance medicines for ovarian cancer and immunotherapy for gynaecological cancers are also expanding treatment options. She says: “Even practical treatments have improved: some therapies that used to take several hours through an IV drip can now be given as a simple under-the-skin injection in just a few minutes, which means patients spend far less time sitting in a hospital chair.” Inherited gene testing, including BRCA testing, can inform family risk, surgical decisions and targeted treatment. Separately, genomic tumour tests help identify women with early-stage breast cancer who may avoid chemotherapy. Testing how patients process certain medicines can also guide dosing and help prevent severe side effects. Technology supports treatment preparation too. BOC’s robotic pharmacy system uses digital scales and barcode checks to prepare precise doses within a sealed sterile chamber, reducing staff exposure to hazardous medicines and helping shorten patients’ waiting times. Supporting life beyond treatment Dr. Al Sindi says: “Treating cancer is never just about administering systemic medications; it is about addressing the entire physical, emotional and social reality of the disease.” Dedicated survivorship pathways address premature menopause, bone and cardiovascular health and cognitive fatigue. Fertility preservation and sexual wellbeing are priorities for younger patients. During treatment, support includes oncology nurse specialists, nutritionists, psycho-oncologists and palliative care specialists involved early in diagnosis. Partnerships with Think Pink Bahrain and the Bahrain Cancer Society extend access to peer support and rehabilitation beyond the clinic. A former Head of Training, Dr. Al Sindi is equally focused on developing local expertise. She says: “My priority is to ensure that young doctors and trainees in Bahrain have access to high-calibre, internationally competitive education right here at home.” Fellowship curricula are being structured around multidisciplinary decisions, clinical trials and specialist clinics. Mentoring encourages trainees to design studies, analyse clinical registries and publish internationally, supported by relationships with ESMO and the European School of Oncology. Her research priorities include studying breast cancer in women under 40 in Bahrain, assessing responses to newer treatments and expanding survivorship monitoring. The aim is to understand local genetic and biological characteristics, improving early detection and treatment. Collaboration across the Gulf aims to strengthen evidence drawn from regional patients. She says: “A cancer diagnosis can be one of the most frightening moments in a person’s life, and medicine alone cannot fix the fear that comes with it. Our promise to our patients is that we will walk beside them every step of the way, combining the best science available with genuine empathy, clear communication and hope.”
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