Abu Dhabi is the first in the world to employ precision medicine to anticipate advanced breast cancer with innovative treatment
ABU DHABI, 17 JUNE / WAM / Abu Dhabi has established its leading position on the map of global medical innovation, by adding a new qualitative achievement to its health record, after it became the first in the world to provide the “Camizestrant” treatment for patients with advanced breast cancer, in a step that embodies the accelerating shift towards precision medicine based on proactive intervention, early detection, and personalized treatment according to the genetic characteristics of each patient.
This achievement comes under the supervision of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, as the Burjeel Oncology Institute provided innovative treatment to a patient in her forties who was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, after tests revealed that she had a genetic mutation in the ESR1 gene, a mutation linked to the development of the disease’s resistance to traditional hormonal treatments and contributes to accelerating its progression.
The medical team relied on advanced technology to track circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), which allows monitoring molecular changes associated with treatment resistance by analyzing a blood sample, before any signs of disease progression appear through radiological imaging examinations or clinical symptoms.
The new treatment represents a qualitative leap in the treatment of advanced breast cancer associated with this genetic mutation, as it allows early therapeutic intervention before clear signs of the disease’s progression appear, which contributes to prolonging the period of control, delaying its development, and preserving the quality of life of patients.
Her Excellency Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said that the future of health care is no longer limited to treating the disease after it appears, but rather is based on the ability to anticipate it and intervene early before it develops, stressing that the introduction of the “Camistant” treatment for the first time in the world from Abu Dhabi embodies the emirate’s vision of building one of the most intelligent and advanced health systems, based on prevention, early detection, and harnessing the latest innovations to enable patients to access advanced treatments in a timely manner.
She added that the combination of advanced diagnostics, precision medicine and innovative treatments continues to raise the standards of healthcare in the emirate, contributing to improving health outcomes and enabling community members to enjoy better health and a long life, and strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading global healthcare destination.
For his part, Professor Humaid bin Harmal Al Shamsi, CEO of Burjeel Oncology Institute, said that the Institute is proud to be the first center in the world to offer this innovative treatment within clinical practice, noting that this achievement reflects the Institute’s vision of integrating advanced molecular diagnostics, artificial intelligence, and modern analytical technologies into the patient care process, allowing for more accurate and personalized treatment decisions to be made according to the biological characteristics of each case.
He added that the achievement is not limited to providing a new medicine, but rather embodies the adoption of an integrated model of precision oncology based on continuous molecular monitoring, as it has become possible, through advanced ctDNA tests, to detect resistance to hormonal therapy very early and intervene before any radiological or clinical indicators of disease progression appear, which gives patients a greater opportunity to control the disease and maintain their quality of life.
This advanced therapeutic approach is based on the results of the global SERENA-6 study, which showed that transferring patients in whom the ESR1 mutation was discovered through ctDNA tests to Camiztant treatment contributed to reducing the risk of disease progression or death by 56% compared to continuing with traditional hormone therapy.
The SERENA-6 study is the first global study to adopt serial monitoring of circulating tumor DNA in the blood to guide the decision to change treatment before the clinical or radiological progression of the disease appears, which represents a fundamental shift in methodologies for treating advanced breast cancer and establishes a new phase of proactive therapeutic care.
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