Cancer currently ranks as the third leading
cause of death in the country today. Unlike other ailments, it
entails a difficult healing process – often requiring not just
the medical aspects of treating the disease but also its social
and cultural implications.
Dr. Valorie Chan, a medical oncologist and
head of medical oncology, Cardinal Santos Medical Center (CSMC)
Cancer Institute, says that it is often difficult for a single
doctor to treat cancer patients’ needs all by himself. "It is so
confusing at times," she says, "but if all other experts can be
put together, then it would be easier." With this, a new
satellite facility was created within the hospital, the Brain
and Spine Tumor Center.
It is envisioned to be a premiere neuro-oncology
service dedicated solely to reducing the burden of brain and
spinal cord tumors. The Gamma Knife Center, which to date has
already treated over 1,500 tumors in the last 10 years, will
provide the initial impetus to this venture.
The center will also have a team of
neurologists, neurosurgeons, medical oncologists, neuro-radiologists
and neuropathologists, as well as radiation oncologists, working
together to offer personalized care and services comparable to
those in first-world countries. However, it will be different in
that the manner of treatment and their cost implications will be
made apt for third-world countries like the Philippines.
As a one-stop brain and spine tumor center,
patients will have access to the hospital’s latest neurosurgical
equipment, which includes a frameless neuronavigational guidance
system, a frame based stereotactic system and neuroendoscopy. It
also has a fully-equipped neuro-ICU, a medical neuro-oncology
unit, and the latest radiotherapy facilities.
Multidisciplinary conferences will also be
held where the team can discuss cases and consult each other to
determine the best possible treatment options for patients. But
in the end, it will still be the patient who has the final say.
For his part, Dr. Samuel Ang, director of CSMC Cancer
Institute, sees this is the next step to be undertaken. "We see
this as the most logical evolution for the institute," he said.
