Every patient is different
CANCER management services involve treating each patient as an individual, due to the vast diversity in cancer typology and how cancer develops in each person.
As every treatment centre may provide different approaches and services to cancer management, patients should research and explore their options before undergoing treatment.
According to Dr Yap Beng Khiong, consultant oncologist at Subang Jaya Medical Centre, a good centre should preferably have a wide range of facilities for diagnosis and treatment, manned by multidisciplinary teams to support patients’ treatment plans.
“It is important to realise that cancer treatment has to be delivered in a timely manner rather than have the patient shuttled around from hospital to hospital due to the lack of necessary facilities,” says Dr Yap.
The three main branches of cancer management are medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology. A good treatment centre should have well-equipped facilities in these three areas.
Medical oncology – This discipline involves using a combination of chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy and targeted therapy that is tailored to each cancer patient to treat their disease.
Surgical oncology – Surgeons specialising in cancer management contribute to a patient’s treatment plan when it involves removing tumours or cancerous tissue. Radiation oncology – Radiation oncology is applied as curative treatment for cancer. It is also used palliatively to relieve symptoms for patients in advanced stages of cancer.
In addition to a solid background in the aforementioned cancer treatment areas, here are some other services that could positively impact cancer management.
Haematology-oncology – Experts in this area are involved in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of blood diseases and cancer as well as research.
Haematology-oncology includes diseases such as anaemia, haemophilia, sickle cell disease, thalassaemia, leukaemia and lymphoma in adults and children.
Stem cell transplantation – Stem cell transplants can be used to treat cancer. Stem cell transplants are most often used for cancers affecting the blood or immune system, such as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
Oncopathology service This specialised and comprehensive laboratory service plays a crucial role in supporting patient care by providing accurate, timely diagnoses, which in turn contribute to positive therapeutic implications.
Nuclear medicine – This medical specialty involves the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Interventional oncology A branch of radiology, interventional oncology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and cancer-related problems using targeted, minimally invasive procedures performed under image guidance.
Biopsies, which involve removing body tissues to screen for presence or extent of a disease, are part of a technique employed under interventional oncology.
Oncologic imaging
An important aspect of multidisciplinary management of cancer, oncologic imaging applications include early screening for cancer, diagnosing and staging of cancer, treatment planning, tumour response monitoring and cancer recurrence.