BY: Elias Jabbour, MD
When I was growing up in Beirut during wartime, we faced constant adversity. But I was raised with a mindset that taught me never to take no for an answer. You keep pushing, you keep dreaming big, and you work hard until you get where you need to be. That determination is what drives me today, and it is why I believe we can cure leukemia in my lifetime.
I attended medical school in Lebanon, and after graduating, I completed a hematology and oncology fellowship in France, then moved to Houston in 2001 for further training in hematology and bone marrow transplantation. I had the privilege of being mentored by some of the greatest minds in the field. One of them was Hagop Kantarjian, who offered me a faculty position at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2007. I loved it immediately. It felt like a dream come true.
Since then, I have worked hard and fully embraced the mission of MD Anderson: to make cancer history and work toward a cure. My work has focused on chronic myeloid leukemia and now acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). I have been fortunate to help lead clinical trials that have transformed treatment. Today, someone diagnosed with ALL can expect a 10-year survival rate of 70%-90%. That was unimaginable when I began my training. We have gone from three years of intensive therapy to six to nine months, with many patients taking oral medication from home.
But our work cannot stop here. My goal is to take what we have built in Houston and bring it to patients everywhere. I want to bring this model of care to underserved populations in the United States, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and other regions. I want our trials to be confirmed in diverse settings so that all patients, no matter where they live or what resources they have, can access effective care.
I have been fortunate. I had a supportive family and the opportunity to study in France and the United States. But many brilliant people from my country have lost everything to war and instability. They may be just as capable as me, or even more so, but they have not had the same chances. I believe it is my responsibility not only to care for patients, but to help others walk the same path I did.
One day, someone who had supported me said, “You are one of the best investments I ever made.” That stayed with me. I believe our greatest wealth is ourselves. Our ability to grow, to give, and to lift others up. That is why I have started a fundraising initiative to support students in Beirut. People can adopt a student, mentor them, and help them pursue the training and education they deserve. These students can become outstanding doctors and fulfill their purpose, just as I have been able to fulfill mine.
I love what I do. It is my passion and my life’s work, and I want to help the next generation fulfill their dreams too.
