Yonsei Cancer Hospital Takes Off

 

Patient-Centered Treatment

 

Continuous Development of New Treatment Technology

 

 

Yonsei Cancer Hospital, which opened April 30, 2014, has been named Korea's top cancer hospital. At Medical Asia Awards ceremony on April 28, the hospital was honored for attracting international patients and bolstering global cooperation among cancer hospitals. Cancer Hospital President Sung-hoon Roh was also given the Minister of Health and Welfare Award for promoting excellence in Korean medical service through patient-centered treatment and a spirit of community service.

 

 

The awards were determined based on research done by health service experts and online voting by consumers. Since opening two years ago, Yonsei Cancer Hospital has grown rapidly, treating nearly 2,000 outpatients and performing an average of fifty-five operations each day. Within the hospital, there are thirteen centers that specialize in different types of cancer. At the same time, the hospital continues to develop new treatment technologies.

 

 

First to Introduce Heavy Ion Cancer Treatment

 

 

Yonsei Cancer Hospital is the first in the country to use the heavy ion cancer treatment called “Sharp Shooters,” a technology that was featured in the prestigious scientific journal Nature. Heavy ion therapy provides a less invasive means of treatment, particularly for patients who are elderly or have an incurable form of cancer.

 

 

Professor Jin-sung Kim, a medical physicist at the College of Medicine, said: “The heavy ion treatment reduces the collateral damage done to healthy cells by radiation and is three times more accurate in attacking cancer cells compared to proton treatment. The method increases the effectiveness of cancer treatment by reducing the side-effects and preventing secondary cancers.”

 

Another advantage of heavy ion therapy is that it reduces the length of the treatment period. Patients treated with conventional radiation or protons generally undergo around thirty treatment sessions; heavy ion therapy, on the other hand, only requires an average of twelve sessions.

 

President Roh explained: “By adding the heavy ion treatment to the hospital's strong infrastructure in robotic operations, targeted anti-cancer treatment, immunity treatment, and other methods, Yonsei Cancer Hospital is on the way to becoming Asia’s best cancer hospital. Furthermore, the diverse medical technologies used throughout the Yonsei University Health System mean that the university is the home of a globally competitive academic and research medical institution.”

 

Yonsei Cancer Hospital is the successor of Yonsei Cancer Center, which was established in 1969 as Korea’s first cancer center. With its cancer experts, innovative treatment methods, and extensive network, Yonsei Cancer Hospital provides high quality care for all of its patients and their families.