Oncology – Radiology Therapy

Profile

The Oncology Department of Nicosia General Hospital is the continuation and evolution of the first Oncology Centre of Cyprus, pioneered by Dimitris Souliotis and Helen Sotiriou. Today, it is housed in the southern wing of the new Nicosia General Hospital building and includes an Inpatient Ward with 18 beds, a Day Care Unit with 8 beds, and Outpatient Clinics for regular monitoring.

Within the Outpatient Clinics, there is also a Survivorship Clinic staffed by a specialised Oncologist.

The Oncology Department is staffed by two Medical Oncologists and one radiotherapist with specialisation and extensive experience in thoracic cancers (e.g., lung cancer), breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers (e.g., colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer), urological cancers (e.g., prostate cancer and ovarian cancer), thyroid gland cancer, and melanoma. Moreover, the nursing and support staff working in the Ward and Day Care Unit are well-trained and experienced in managing oncology patients and the administration of anticancer regimens. The Department’s equipment includes two specialised laminar flow rooms for the safe preparation of cytostatic drugs and biologics administered intravenously to patients.

The mission and priority of the staff of the Oncology Department of Nicosia General Hospital, is to provide high-level oncology services based on international standards and experience, by implementing a patient-centric approach. The ultimate goal is to deliver an effective and comprehensive personalised healthcare. To achieve our goals, we work diligently and invest in our human resources through continuous staff training and implementation of an interdisciplinary approach to cancer care and our collaboration with all involved healthcare professionals.

An important advantage is that the Oncology Department is integrated spatially and functionally into the largest public tertiary level Hospital in the country, and closely collaborates with all other Medical and Diagnostic Departments of Nicosia General Hospital involved in cancer diagnosis, staging, and management. This ensures timely and comprehensive therapeutic management for oncology patients throughout their fight against the disease. We provide care for all patients diagnosed with the disease, including complex or challenging cases that require coordinated and/or urgent assistance from multiple medical specialties (e.g., managing severe cancer complications or adverse effects of anticancer treatments, etc.). Additionally, our department collaborates closely with other Oncology Centres that are part of the General Healthcare System (GHS) for specialised imaging examinations or the administration of radiotherapy when necessary.

It’s worth noting that all oncology cases are discussed, elaborating on the cancer type and location, in the corresponding specialised Oncology Boards (Multidisciplinary Teams) that operate regularly within our hospital. These boards include, besides our oncologists, physicians from the involved medical specialties (e.g., pathologists, radiologists, surgeons specialised in the specific cancer, pulmonologists, interventional radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists, etc.). The therapeutic plan drafted for each patient is based on international established standards and guidelines, tailored according to the patient’s specific characteristics and malignancy in order to realise the optimal outcome.

Patients under our care have access to all novel anticancer drugs available through the Health Insurance Organization or secured through special early access programs or health ministry grants. In addition to chemotherapy, which remains an effective therapeutic modality for many cancer types, in recent years, we have introduced in our provided regimens a broad range of innovative anticancer therapies that have significantly improved disease outcomes. These include, for example, (a) immunotherapies that activate the patient’s immune system against cancer and (b) targeted therapies that act selectively against specific molecules in tumours that are essential for their growth and survival. At this point, it is emphasised that the Histopathology Department of our Hospital performs specialised molecular tests that can identify such molecular drug targets in patients’ tumours.

The Oncology Department also participates in pan-European or Greek clinical trials with the aim of (a) assessing the quality of life of cancer patients, which is an important parameter in therapeutic decision-making, and (b) documenting the effectiveness and toxicity of already approved anticancer drugs in real-world clinical studies.

In addition to purely oncological treatments, our patients have access to palliative care, physical rehabilitation, and psychological/spiritual support provided by healthcare professionals within Nicosia General Hospital, such as an anaesthesiologist specialised in pain management (the Pain Clinic is located within the same area as the Oncology Department), clinical dieticians, physiotherapists, clinical psychologists, as well as spiritual support from the priests of the nearby Church of Ayioi Anargyroi.

For oncology patients or their relatives who may be eligible for genetic counselling and guidance regarding potential hereditary predisposition, our department collaborates with genetic counselling professionals within GHS. We also closely collaborate with the Department of Community Nursing of the SHSO, especially for patients residing in rural areas, as well as with all Cancer Patient Associations providing homecare nursing services or other support to oncology patients. To ensure the best service for our patients and their companions, scheduled admissions to the Department and registrations for medical examinations can be made at the reception of the department located in the outpatient clinics. To ensure the smooth operation of the department’s services and his/her convenience, the patient is not involved in interdepartmental drug transfers, while prescriptions for outpatient therapies are executed through a special section of the Hospital’s Pharmacy. Additionally, a volunteer from the Cancer Patient Association provides free refreshments to patients and their companions in the Day Care Unit and the Ward. It is worth noting that, in addition to the hospital rooms, the Oncology Ward also facilitates semi-outdoor areas with plants, a spacious lounge, and a small kitchen for visitors.