Hematology and Oncology
The most important job performed in the Department of Hematology and Oncology is to treat cancer patients with expertise using chemotherapy. As chemotherapeutic agents have many adverse effects, it is important to choose the appropriate drugs in the appropriate amount depending on the type of cancer and treatment goal.
The physicians of the Department of Hematology and Oncology expertly study and analyze standard treatment methods and various clinical trials that are ongoing domestically and internationally to administer the most appropriate chemotherapeutic agents to cancer patients. Surgery and/or radiotherapy can be also performed alongside the chemotherapy. At the Samsung Medical Center, we have organized various specialized centers for different types of cancers, and provide patients with individualized and optimized treatment through multi-modal treatment methods. The physicians of our Department of Hematology and Oncology play an essential role in providing each patient with the most appropriate treatment as members of the specialized care team in the Cancer Center, through organic consultation with the Departments of Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Pathology, and Radiology, using a multi-disciplinary approach.
Strong points
1. Chemotherapy
The most important job in the Department of Hematology and Oncology is to treat cancer with chemotherapy. We choose chemotherapeutic agents and determine their dosage according to the type of cancer, stage, and general status of the patient. During the treatment process, we change the dosage or the chemotherapeutic agent depending on
treatment responses and/or adverse effects.
The physicians of the Department of Hematology and Oncology expertly study and analyze standard treatment methods and various clinical trials that are ongoing domestically and internationally to administer the most appropriate chemotherapeutic agents to cancer patients.
Recently, various targeted therapeutic agents have been developed to play an important role in anti-cancer therapy.
2. Clinical trials
Clinical trials are studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment methods targeting humans, and they are very important in developing new treatment methods for cancer.
Chemotherapeutic agents are developed by investing large amounts of funds and skilled researchers for several years at a time, and these agents can be administered to actual patients only after they are proven effective and safe through the course of a clinical trial.
The physicians of the Department of Hematology and Oncology play an essential role in planning and carrying out new clinical trials with their knowledge and experience of them. Various clinical trials are under way in our hospital.
3. Conservative treatment / Improvement of patient quality of life
The aim of treating cancer lies not only in extending the life span, but also improving the quality of life. We help patients to live their lives with minimal pain by minimizing the adverse effects of chemotherapy and alleviating symptoms of cancer. We co-operate with our home nursing team and the Department of Anesthesiology to minimize the pain of cancer patients.