Nawaloka Cancer Centre to adopt multidisciplinary care in cancer treatment

Thursday, 8 December 2016 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Nawaloka Hospitals has highlighted the weight the hospital places on combining state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities, personalised care and a multidisciplinary approach to treating cancer patients. Nawaloka Cancer Centre engages a team of talented and experienced medical professionals to provide cancer care benchmarked on international standards. The medical team at Nawaloka Cancer Centre employs skilled oncologists, physicians, surgeons, hematologists, laboratory and nursing staff.

According to available data published by the National Cancer Control program of Sri Lanka, the lifetime risk of developing any type of cancer (calculated for 0-74 years) in Sri Lanka’s general population was one in every 10 persons for both men and women, while one in every 40 women runs the risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime. One in every 42 males runs the risk of developing cancer of the lip, oral cavity or the pharynx.

Nawaloka Hospitals Specialist Clinical Haematologist Dr. Sanjay De Mel said, “We aim to provide our patients world-class cancer treatment based on the latest medical evidence.”

The benchmark for the best possible care for cancer patients requires a multi-disciplinary team that works together to provide a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and individual compassionate counselling. Generally, cancer treatment depends on the type and the stage of the cancer, estimated side effects and the patient’s medical history. The entire team needs to work together to ensure the best outcome for the patient. The Nawaloka Cancer Centre provides regular specialised training to all its staff including the laboratory and nursing staff to maintain a high quality of service at all times.

“Our approach to cancer care involves taking the emotional and psychological impact of this disease on the patient and family into account. Every patient is an individual, with unique concerns and expectations, we always take this aspect into consideration when we decide on treatment plans for our patients,” commented Consultant in Medical and Radiation Oncology Dr. Dehan Gunasekera. The multidisciplinary cancer care team also provides counselling to help patients cope with their illness and ease the way towards recovery.

Dr. Sanjay de Mel and Dr. Dehan Gunasekera reiterated that in the context where major advances are being made every year in the fields of haematology and oncology, Nawaloka Hospitals endeavour to provide patients in Sri Lanka with the latest diagnostic and treatment modalities available.