The Prince of Wales Hospital Integrated Oncology Clinic of the Hospital Authority (HA) was officially opened today (December 6) by HA Chairman Mr. Wu Ting-yuk, and Founder and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund Mrs Sally Lo. This marks another step forward in the hospital’s provision of cancer care service.

The healthcare sector faces great challenges of rising cancer incidence. According to the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, 25,977 new cancer cases were reported in 2009. Last year, at the Department of Clinical Oncology of the Prince of Wales Hospital alone, there were 23,600 chemotherapy visits, 14,000 chemotherapy day ward admissions and 37,100 radiotherapy treatments.

HA Chairman Mr. Wu Ting-yuk, said, “Cancer treatment entails high costs and requires the support of advanced technology and multidisciplinary input. Community supporters, like the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, have been valued partners in our efforts to provide quality service to our patients.”

Mrs Sally Lo, Founder and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund said, “At Hong Kong Cancer Fund we are committed to helping make life better for people touched by cancer and increasing the overall quality of cancer care and the patient’s hospital experience is an important part of this commitment. Our collaboration with the Prince of Wales Hospital will ensure more cancer patients in this community to be treated, and with the growing rate of cancer diagnosis in Hong Kong, this is vitally important.”

The Integrated Oncology Clinic is supported by a generous donation of $ 4.75 million from the Hong Kong Cancer Fund and a matching fund from the Hospital Authority. The redevelopment took ten months to complete. It serves cancer patients requiring multidisciplinary consultation and integrated treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Oncologists, surgeons, radiologists and other specialists jointly devise the optimal treatment plan for patients with different cancers, including breast cancer, head and neck cancer, brain tumors and skin cancer.

The Clinic is equipped with five radiotherapy linear accelerators capable of delivering two forms of precision radiotherapy, namely Image-guided Stereotactic Radiotherapy and RapidArc Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT). These technologies markedly shorten treatment time to improve patient comfort and waiting time. Besides, the Clinic’s spacious waiting area, cheerful colour scheme and open registration counter were designed to create a cozy and homey environment to help patients maintain a positive attitude in their fight against cancer.

The Clinic offers one-stop holistic service for the special needs of cancer patients. Doctors, nurse specialists and radiation therapists provide a wide range of patient support services including counselling, cancer education and care of treatment side effects. Patients and family members can also relax in the Radiotherapy Day Ward in between treatment procedures.

Other guests attending the opening ceremony included Mr. Ho Sing-tin, Chairman, Hospital Governing Committee, Prince of Wales Hospital; Dr. Fung Hong, Cluster Chief Executive, New Territories East Cluster; Mr. Lo Kai-leung and Dr. Yuen Wai-man, Co-Chairmen,  Hong Kong Cancer Fund; Prof. Fok Tai-fai, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Prof. Chan Tak-cheung, Chairman, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Prof. Mok Shu-kam, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; and Dr. Yu Kwok-hung, Chief of Service, Department of Clinical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital.