Emad Shash

Medical Oncologist

Breast Oncology

Breast Comprehensive Cancer Hospital

Location Egypt, Cairo

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Dr. Emad Shash is a Medical Oncologist and clinical researcher specializing in breast cancer, gynecologic oncology, and clinical trials methodology. He currently serves as Director of the Breast Cancer Comprehensive Center at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, and as Head of the Medical Oncology Department at Sheffa Al Orman Comprehensive Cancer Center in Luxor, Egypt. Between 2012 and 2015, he served as Clinical Research Physician and Medical Lead at the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) in Brussels, where he contributed to the design, conduct, and publication of major international clinical trials across multiple cancer types. A co-founder of the Egyptian Medical Sciences Foundation and President of the Egyptian Gynae-Oncology Society (EGOS), Dr. Shash is widely recognized for his commitment to cancer education, patient navigation, and advancing oncology care in low- and middle-income country settings.

Current Positions

  • Director, Breast Cancer Comprehensive Center, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
  • Associate Professor of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
  • Head, Medical Oncology Department, Sheffa Al Orman Comprehensive Cancer Center, Luxor, Egypt
  • Medical Oncology Consultant and Managing Director, Oncologyclinic Private Centre, Cairo, Egypt
  • Deputy Medical Director, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University (2016–present)
  • President, Egyptian Gynae-Oncology Society (EGOS) (2026–present)
  • Board Member, Egyptian Cancer Society (ECS)
  • Panel Voting Member, European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) (2008–present)
  • Member, International Affairs Committee, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (2026–present)
  • Member, American Association of Cancer Education (AACE) (2025–present)
  • Member, Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) (2025–present)

Education

  • MBBCh, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, Kasr Al-Aini Medical School, Cairo University, November 2004
  • MSc, Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, July 2010
  • Certification of Excellence in Fundamentals of Clinical Trials Methodology, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), Brussels, Belgium, March 2015
  • MD, Medical Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, November 2015
  • Diploma, Hospital Quality Management and Patient Safety, Joint Commission International / 57357 CHE Academy, Cairo, December 2017

Professional Experience

  • Resident, Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, 2006–2010
  • Fellow, Cancer Fertility Preservation Unit, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy, 2010
  • Education and E-Learning Development Instructor and Consultant, NCI, Cairo University, 2010–2012
  • Medical Oncology Course Instructor and Consultant, NCI Nursing Technical Institute, Cairo University, 2010–2012
  • Associate Director for Junior Medical Staff Training and Development, NCI, Cairo University, 2011–2012
  • Clinical Research Physician and Medical Lead, EORTC Medical Department, Brussels, Belgium, 2012–2015
  • Staff Member, Medical Oncology Department, NCI, Cairo University, 2010–present
  • Quality Control Coordinator for Postgraduate Studies and Educational Development Consultant, NCI, Cairo University, 2016–present
  • Visiting Consultant, Medical Oncology, Shifaa Al-Orman Hospital, Luxor, Egypt, 2016–present
  • Associate Editor, Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute (JENCI), 2017–2021
  • Director, Breast Cancer Comprehensive Center, NCI, Cairo University, present
  • Associate Professor of Medical Oncology, NCI, Cairo University, present
  • Medical Oncologist and Consultant, Oncologyclinic Private Centre, Cairo, Egypt, 2004–present
  • Clinical Research Development Consultant, 2015–present

Research Activity

  • Participated in over 70 international oncology clinical trials across all phases of development since 2008, serving as Study Coordinator, Sub-Investigator, Principal Investigator, and Sponsor Medical Monitor
  • At EORTC (2012–2015): contributed to design, protocol writing, medical safety monitoring, data review, and publication for major international trials across gynecologic oncology, breast, GI, lung, head and neck, and lymphoma, including EORTC 22991 (prostate), 20051 (H10 Hodgkin), 55102/55112 (endometrial), 22113 (LungTech SBRT), and 55092 (platinum-resistant ovarian cancer), among others
  • At NCI Cairo and Sheffa Al Orman Hospital (2015–present): leads a portfolio of international industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated trials in breast and women’s cancers, collaborating with global sponsors including AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer, and Roche
  • Designs and leads investigator-initiated trials (IITs) focused on patient navigation, supportive care, digital oncology, and health-systems improvement in LMIC settings
  • Active research in homologous recombination deficiency in ovarian cancer across the Middle East, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, oral anticancer medication adherence, AI readiness in oncology, and breast cancer education programs
  • Co-founder, Egyptian Medical Sciences Foundation
  • Scientific Board and Founding Member, C.A.I.R.O Journal Club oncology educational forum (2015–present)
  • Peer reviewer and specialty editor for several leading international scientific journals

Clinical Trials

Dr. Shash has participated in over 70 international oncology clinical trials since 2008, spanning Phases I through III. His EORTC tenure (2012–2015) involved protocol development, medical monitoring, and interim and final analyses for landmark trials across multiple tumor types. Since 2015, he leads clinical trial operations at NCI Cairo University and Sheffa Al Orman Hospital, collaborating with global sponsors including AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer, and Roche, with a particular focus on breast cancer, women’s cancers, and LMIC-relevant health systems research.

Honors and Awards

  • International Development and Education Award (IDEA), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 2012
  • Marquis Who’s Who in the World Lifetime Achievements, 2012
  • Recognition Award for Scientific Publishing and Advancement, Cairo University, Egypt, 2011

Memberships / Affiliations

  • President, Egyptian Gynae-Oncology Society (EGOS) (2026–present)
  • Board Member, Egyptian Cancer Society (ECS)
  • European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) — Panel Voting Member (2008–present)
  • European Society of Gynecologic Oncology (ESGO) (2012–present)
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) — International Affairs Committee Member (2026–present)
  • American Association of Cancer Education (AACE) (2025–present)
  • Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) (2025–present)
  • Arab Medical Association Against Cancer (AMAAC)
  • Co-founder, Egyptian Medical Sciences Foundation
  • Scientific Board and Founding Member, C.A.I.R.O Journal Club (2015–present)

 Areas of Specialization

  • Breast oncology and breast cancer comprehensive care
  • Gynecologic oncology
  • Clinical trials design, methodology, and management
  • Patient navigation and cancer education
  • Supportive and palliative oncology care
  • Digital health and oncology in low- and middle-income countries
  • Thoracic, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary oncology
  • Rare cancers and hemato-oncology

Publications

Dr. Shash has authored and co-authored publications across peer-reviewed journals, international conference abstracts, and book chapters. He has participated in high-impact publications including contributions to The Lancet, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Oncology, European Journal of Cancer, npj Breast Cancer, ecancer, and JCO Global Oncology, among others.

Select Recent Publications:

Shash E, Vardar MA, Taskiran C, Boujassoum S, Riromar J, Aboutaleb A, Sadek F, Samy E, Bahaj W. “Homologous recombination deficiency in newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer across nine Middle East countries: prevalence, real-world testing pathways, and treatment implications.” BMC Cancer, 2026.

Ramsey I, Crawford-Williams F, Thamm C, Shash E, et al. “Developing a practice framework for patient navigation in cancer care, a Global Initiative to Advance Cancer Navigation for Better Outcomes (GINO) project.” eClinicalMedicine 93, 2026.

Verheul E, Koppert L, Chagla L, Shash E, et al. “Defining quality breast cancer care around the globe.” In: Verhoeven D, et al., editors. Breast Cancer: Global Quality Care. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2026.

Cazap E, Anderson BO, Curigliano G, Sehdev S, Cardoso F, Gonzalez AR, Shash E, et al. “Bridging gaps in breast cancer care: a Breast Cancer Care Quality Index to improve outcomes worldwide.” ecancer 19:1981, 2025.

Shash E, Bektash F, Montaser M, Ghobrial S, Safwat J, Reda K, Mahran N, et al. “Enhancing breast cancer knowledge through an educational program: a quasi-experimental study at Cairo University’s National Cancer Institute.” JCO Global Oncology 11:e2500311, 2025.

Shash E, Amin HM, Hussein N, Shaker S, Wafi O, Salah H, Massoud S, et al. “2304P Public-private-NGO partnership boosts early breast cancer detection in Egypt: lessons for scaling across LMICs.” Annals of Oncology 36:S1267, 2025.

Kassem L, Shash E, Mokhtar M, Rashad N, Saad SS, Rabea AM, et al. “The CAIRO Journal Club: a decade of impact.” Journal of Cancer Education, 2025.

Shash E, et al. “Streamlining care through patient navigation: a retrospective cohort study of timely anti-HER2 therapy in early breast cancer in a low-middle income country.” BMC Health Services Research 25(1):1454, 2025.

Atherton J, Gopalakrishnan SG, Wahba Y, Kirollos RH, Shash E, Amin HM, et al. “280P Key performance indicators of screening via clinical breast examination: a pooled analysis of 9.3 million screened women.” ESMO Open 10, 2025.

Shash E. “Addressing the intersection of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and fall risk in cancer survivors: insights and future directions.” JCO Precision Oncology 8:e2400421, 2024.

Shash E, Bektash F, Elhosary M, et al. “Enhancing patient outcomes through integrated education and navigation programmes at the Breast Cancer Comprehensive Center, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University.” Journal of Cancer Education 39, 2024.

El Bairi K, Haynes HR, Blackley E, Shash E, et al. “The tale of TILs in breast cancer: a report from the International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group.” npj Breast Cancer 7:150, 2021.

Abusanad AM, Bensalem A, Shash E, Mula-Hussain LYI, Benbrahim Z, Khatib S, et al. “Prevalence and risk factors of burnout among female oncologists from the Middle East and North Africa.” Frontiers in Psychology 13:845024, 2022.

Rashad N, Abdulla M, Farouk M, Elkerm Y, Salem SE, Yahia M, Shash E, et al. “Resource-oriented decision-making for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in a lower-middle-income country: EFMS consensus recommendations 2020.” Cancer Management and Research 14:821–842, 2022.

Bolla M, Maingon P, Carrie C, Shash E, et al. “Short androgen suppression and radiation-dose escalation for intermediate- and high-risk localised prostate cancer: results of EORTC 22991.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 34(15):1748–1756, 2016.

Amgad M, Tsui MMK, Liptrott SJ, Shash E. “Medical-student research: a mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis.” PLOS ONE 10(6):e0127470, 2015.

Shash E, Negrouk A, Marreaud S, et al. “International clinical-trial setting for rare cancers: the EORTC perspective.” ecancermedicalscience 7:321, 2013.

Gaafar R, Shash E, El-Haddad A. “Cancer education for medical students in developing countries: where do we stand?” Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 84(1):122–129, 2012.

Books:

Ibrahim AH, Abd El Wahab MH, Shash E. “Quality of life and endometrial cancer.” In: Kassianos AP, editor. Handbook of Quality of Life in Cancer. Cham: Springer, 2022.

Ibrahim AH, Shash E. “General oncology care in Egypt.” In: Al-Shamsi HO, et al., editors. Cancer in the Arab World. Singapore: Springer, 2022.

Shash E, Amgad M. “Egypt.” In: Global Perspectives on Cancer: Incidence, Care and Experience. Vienna: Praeger, 2014.

Shash E. Prognostic and Predictive Markers for Hepatocellular Cancer. Saarbrücken: VDM Verlag Dr Müller GmbH & Co. KG, 2011.