A breakthrough in the application of science and technology at Nghe An Oncology Hospital

(Baonghean) - After 5 years of establishment, Nghe An Oncology Hospital has had remarkable successes in applying science and technology, deploying specialized techniques in examination and treatment, creating favorable conditions for Nghe An people in particular, and the North Central region in general to detect early and treat cancer effectively. Since then, Nghe An Oncology Hospital is aiming to become a comprehensive, high-quality medical examination and treatment center in the field of oncology.

Endoscopic surgery at Nghe An Oncology Hospital.

Established in 2010, officially put into operation on August 8, 2011, Nghe An Oncology Hospital has quickly stabilized its organization, performing the tasks of medical examination and treatment, renovating, building new ones, purchasing equipment, recruiting and training, and simultaneously deploying many new techniques, especially Central-level techniques...

Up to now, the hospital has developed rapidly with 15 departments, 311 staff, including 1 doctor, 10 masters, 1 specialist II and 9 specialist I. From the initial scale of 50 beds, the actual number of beds is 750 beds/480 planned beds; on average, each day there are about 400 - 450 inpatients, more than 500 outpatients.

Despite many difficulties in terms of facilities, over the past time, the hospital has continuously invested in modern equipment to serve the work of diagnosis, treatment and training, improving the professional qualifications of the team of doctors and technicians.

After more than 5 years of operation, the hospital has deployed all provincial techniques in the field and over 500 central techniques; surgical and chemical treatment for most oncological diseases such as: Successful surgery for lung tumors, mediastinal tumors, esophageal tumors; gastrectomy, total gastrectomy with lymph node dissection; colon resection; pancreaticoduodenectomy; hepatic segmentectomy; laparoscopic common bile duct surgery, gallstone lithotripsy through Kehr tunnel; laparoscopic resection of prostate fibroids, bladder tumors, kidney tumors; orchiectomy, penile cancer; kidney stone and ureteral stone removal surgery.

In addition, obstetric and gynecological surgeries such as laparoscopic partial and total hysterectomy, open surgery; lymph node dissection; laparoscopic ovarian cyst surgery; benign breast tumor surgery, total mastectomy in breast cancer with lymph node dissection...; head and neck surgeries such as surgery for benign thyroid tumors and thyroid cancer; surgery for mixed parotid gland tumors, cleft cysts, thyrohyoid cysts; surgery for oral cavity tumors, tongue cancer, lip cancer... have also been performed well by hospital doctors, successfully treating many patients.

In particular, the hospital has successfully performed stem cell transplantation techniques such as: CD34 stem cell quantitative tests; autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat leukemia; autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to support breast cancer treatment. Regarding internal medicine, the hospital has conducted chemotherapy for most types of cancer, endocrine treatment for breast cancer patients. Notably, it has conducted targeted treatment for patients with lung, liver, colorectal, and breast cancer; and treated liver tumors with high-frequency waves.

Since its establishment, Nghe An Oncology Hospital has carried out 88 scientific research projects, including 2 provincial-level projects and 7 grassroots-level projects; 16 projects were sent to report at the National Cancer Conference held in Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Da Nang. In 2015, the hospital received a special award from the Nghe An Provincial Science and Technology Award.

Among those many topics, some highly practical topics stand out that Nghe An Oncology Hospital is one of the first hospitals in the country to successfully implement, such as: Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation method to treat leukemia, support breast cancer treatment; High frequency wave tumor burning method - using heat energy generated from high frequency electric current to destroy tumors in the body used to treat tumor pathology in organs such as: liver, kidney, uterus, lungs, bones... In Vietnam, high frequency wave lung tumor burning was first performed at Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. Nghe An Oncology Hospital is the second unit in the country to deploy this technique.

Nghe An Oncology Hospital constantly learns, applies and transfers new techniques in cooperation with central hospitals, especially the Central Cancer Hospital - the unit that often supports the hospital professionally.

Specifically: In difficult cases, Nghe An Oncology Hospital will work with the Central Cancer Hospital to conduct consultations to propose solutions, or invite experts and doctors from the Central Cancer Hospital to perform surgery. And conversely, Nghe An Oncology Hospital has played its leading role in guiding and transferring endoscopic surgery technology to lower-level hospitals. This has helped to increase the effectiveness of receiving, treating and performing surgery on cancer diseases...

Using robots for diagnosis and treatment at Nghe An Oncology Hospital. Photo courtesy.

For paraclinical activities, the hospital is one of the first units in the country to effectively deploy diagnostic imaging methods, such as: DR digital breast imaging (Mammography) with 3D software, DR digital X-ray; well-deployed flexible bronchoscopy, respiratory function measurement; 1.5 magnetic resonance imaging. 64-slice CT Scanner.

The testing system responds promptly and returns fast and accurate results, on average 5,000 - 7,000 specimens per day; deploys specialized oncology tests such as tumor marker tests, instant biopsy (cold section method, results available after 30 minutes) to help diagnose quickly and have an attitude of surgical treatment; in particular, has deployed immunohistochemical diagnostic tests to help clinicians choose targeted drugs, biopsies of organs using robots under CT-Scanner guidance... The initial diagnostic and testing methods have brought high efficiency, serving well the diagnosis and treatment.

From the successes in the development and application of science and technology, investment in modern equipment, training of high-quality human resources, increasingly meeting the needs of medical examination and treatment, patients have increasingly trusted and come to Nghe An Oncology Hospital; not only patients in Nghe An province but also in the North Central region.

The proper development of the hospital has helped patients reduce travel costs and save time compared to going to the Central level for treatment; that also means reducing the load on the Central level. These successes are the premise for the hospital to continue to develop steadily in the coming time, soon becoming the core specialized hospital of the North Central region.

According to the report of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention - Ministry of Health: In 2015, the whole country had about 250,000 new cases and 125,000 deaths due to cancer. The most common cancers in men are lung, stomach, liver, colorectal and nasopharyngeal cancer. The most common cancers in women are breast, cervical, stomach, colon and lung cancer. And cancer is the disease with the highest risk of death. In Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces alone, an average of 6,000 - 8,250 people are estimated to have cancer each year.

It is forecasted that by 2020, each year the two provinces will have about 10,000 people suffering from various types of cancer... The increasingly complex disease model is a challenge and also a command of the heart requiring Nghe An Oncology Hospital to constantly develop for the health of patients.

In 2017, the hospital will complete the construction of a radiotherapy and nuclear medicine center at the new facility, so that cancer patients can enjoy all the basic treatment methods: surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy and stem cell transplantation...

Thanh Son