BEST PROVIDERS OF SPECIALIST CARE
ONCOLOGY ( MEDICAL ) SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
BANGKOK CANCER HOSPITAL WATTANOSOTH
Bangkok Hospital ’ s Cancer Hospital Wattanosoth is a private specialist facility offering advanced cancer treatment together with holistic care .
As the first dedicated private cancer institution in Thailand , the centre provides quality prevention , diagnostics , and treatment for cancer patients in an environment that puts their physical and emotional wellbeing first .
Last year , Wattanosoth won the gold seal of approval by certifier Joint Commission International for its breast cancer care , the first international programme of its kind to earn this distinction .
It ’ s for achievements like this that the cancer centre was named Oncology Medical Service Provider of the Year at the Global Health Asia-Pacific awards this year .
Its wide portfolio of technology features Edge radiosurgery , a non-invasive tumour-destroying method of treating cancer by administering high doses of radiation . Known to be precise , convenient , and fast , the system is used for patients not considered good candidates for surgery .
Edge was designed to effectively treat a wide range of cancers , including those in the brain , spine , lung , gastrointestinal system , and genitourinary system . It works with an image-guided radiation therapy system to pinpoint the exact site of cancer before radiation treatment is delivered .
Also in use at Wattanosoth is volumetric modulated arc therapy , which increases accuracy by delivering radiation while also reducing unwanted side effects . It does this by rotating a
The team at Bangkok Cancer Hospital Wattanosoth
linear accelerator through one or more arcs with the radiation continuously on .
As it does so , several parameters can be varied to target the tumour better . This mode of therapy provides higher accuracy as all its processes are computerised and controlled by trained specialists , providing a 3D navigation system to pinpoint the location of the tumour before delivering radiation .
The system is also less time consuming while at the same time able to provide 1-8 times higher radiation levels compared to conventional radiology techniques . While those techniques require patients to lie still for 15-30 minutes , Wattanosoth ’ s equipment only takes 3-5 minutes for a procedure to be completed .
Over the last year , doctors at Wattanosoth have attended to over 13,000 cases , most of which were treated through its latest arc therapy . Of these , 322 were medical tourists , mainly from neighbouring countries and the Middle East . Breast , lung , and prostate cancers were the most commonplace treatments at the cancer centre .
Wattanosoth is particularly proud of its collaboration with Thailand ’ s universal healthcare coverage scheme , which provides affordable treatment for its population . In addition , it has also been providing assistance to a scheme that treats civil servants and retired government employees .
“ Since the cancer hospital occupies the private sector , we ’ re able to provide specialised and comprehensive treatment supported by the latest medical innovations and state-ofthe-art technology ,” said a hospital spokesperson .
“ Moreover , our affiliation with our sister institute , the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center , has allowed us to be pioneers in cancer treatment in Thailand where our team of expert oncologists and specialists are dedicated to providing patients with the best care and treatment possible . Our outcomes are comparable with leading cancer centres in the United States , Western Europe , and Japan .”
64 DECEMBER 2020 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com