From therapy to grooming

The recent appointment of St. Luke’s Medical Center as the sole Philippine affiliate of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the world’s most prestigious cancer center, is an affirmation of the hospital’s leadership in the diagnosis, treatment and management of cancer in the Philippines.

With the formal affiliation, St. Luke’s is once again recognized for its professional medical expertise, commitment to excellent patient care, most comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic services, and most advanced technology in the country, comparable with the best medical institutions in the world.

This is just one of the many exciting developments from the St. Luke’s Cancer Institute. "Having been in existence for the past 16 years, the St. Luke’s Cancer Institute has been providing a multi-disciplinary approach in dealing with various kinds of cancer. It is the most comprehensive cancer center in the Philippines today and is considered one of Asia’s best-equipped centers for diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of the dreaded disease," says Dr. Priscilla Caguioa, the institute’s director.

The Ambulatory Care Unit of the Cancer Institute provides a venue where cancer patients can receive their chemotherapy, get blood transfusion and other necessary management. Minor procedures like bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, port-a-cath care and paracentisis are also performed in the Ambulatory Care Unit.

At least 10 different multi-disciplinary conferences on breast, lungs, genito-urinary, gynecology, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, head and neck, brain tumor, ophthalmologic and radiologic malignancies are conducted regularly at the Cancer Institute.

Not just focusing on the disease but on the quality of life as a whole, the institute also conducts fora for patients as well as their caregivers. Doctors as well as experts from various fields outside the medical profession talk about subjects ranging from latest drugs in the market to beauty care tips.

At present, the Philippines ranks No. 1 in Asia in terms of cancer incidence. Among women, breast cancer is still the most prevalent followed by cancer of the cervix, lungs and colon. For men, it is still lung cancer occupying the top rank followed by cancer of the prostate, colon and liver.

The Cancer Institute is actively involved in several international clinical trials on new cytotoxic drugs and targeted therapy. As part of its commitment to further serve and inform the public, the Cancer Institute is conducting studies based on the Asian experience.

"It’s about time that we have data based on our own experience and those of our neighbors not relying solely on Western studies," says Caguioa. Part of the institute’s future plans is to strengthen research on specific programs for the different types of cancer.

"The chance for cure is detection at an early stage with the appropriate kind of treatment. In cancer, education of lay people is the key to early detection and cure," says Caguioa.

Caguioa, who had her fellowship in medical oncology at the Boston University Medical Center, was past president of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology. She is the president of the Philippine Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. For more information, call the St. Luke’s Cancer Institute at 731-3001 local 5427, or e-mail at [email protected].