Cancer is a growth or tumor that can grow and spread in the body if left untreated. However, cancers differ significantly from each other. While some cancers are benign and grow slowly, others grow rapidly and have usually spread widely by the time they are detected.

Cancer treatment is one of the most intensively developed areas of medicine and, due to modern techniques, most cancers can be treated with good results. Most cancer patients lead a normal life after the cancer has been treated, and many cancers can even be cured with surgery and adjuvant therapy. However, treatment must be started immediately in order to ensure a successful outcome. In Finland, the quality of cancer treatment is among the best in Europe and the world.

The treatment of cancer involves specialists, nurses specialized in cancer treatment, and rehabilitation therapists. As types of cancer differ significantly from one another, it is important that the patient is always treated by specialists of the cancer type in question.

As the treatment methods are constantly changing, continual training is required to keep abreast of the latest scientific knowledge. For this reason, it is a fundamental principle at Helsinki Hospital that a cancer patient’s treatment should always be referred to experts in treatment of the cancer type detected in the patient. Furthermore, the treatment of cancer most often involves the collaboration of experts from more than one field. A treatment plan for the patient is based the collaboration and contribution of each of these experts.

Treatment at Helsinki Hospital is planned and carried out collaboratively by a multi-professional group: pathologists and cancer physicians (oncologists) are involved, as well as other specialists as required, such as plastic surgeons, jaw/chin surgeons, ear specialists, eye specialists, neurosurgeons, abdominal organ surgeons, and gynecologists. We offer cancer diagnosis and treatment in collaboration with our partner clinic, Docrates Cancer Center.