Department of Chemotherapy

In 2008, the hospital was certified as a cancer treatment cooperating hospital. Our goal is to deliver high-quality multidisciplinary cancer treatments in cooperation with the region’s other medical institutions.

In our department, an oncologist diagnoses and provides medical treatment of neoplastic diseases, particularly for patients who require chemotherapy (drug therapy using anti-cancer agents). In addition to chemotherapy, depending on the individual patient's situation, close cooperation is arranged with the radiology and surgery departments to provide the best multi-modal therapy that may include both radiation therapy and surgery.

Reception hours

Medical content
Our department focuses on treatments for chest and lung malignancies, including primarily lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and other malignancies in the area around the lungs, including thymus cancer, and also provides support for diagnosis and treatment of unknown primary cancers whose diagnosis and treatment are difficult. For patients with solid tumors such as stomach, colon, liver, or breast cancers, arrangements are made for cooperation with the hospital’s gastrointestinal surgery or breast surgery departments to obtain specialized medical care. Oncologists with extensive clinical experience will provide the treatment. In addition to medical examinations, thoracoscopy or lung biopsies under CT in radiology can enable rapid diagnosis of neoplastic disease.

The department’s special features
We are thorough in making detailed explanations to provide information vital to informed consent by patients and families. We provide treatment only after obtaining consent from patients and families who have completely understood the medical situation. We will also help with later decisions after consulting with patients about their best options under the circumstances.

In general, the first chemotherapy treatment is conducted on an in-patient basis, but second and later treatments are focused on the patient's QOL (quality of life), and for this reason we have aggressively introduced outpatient chemotherapy. At the outpatient chemotherapy clinic of 13 beds, patients can receive their treatments with a feeling of security in the competent hands of the full-time cancer specialist nursing staff and pharmacists. As much as possible, we aim to deliver treatment while patients live at home. If hospitalized treatment is necessary, it can be provided in the highly specialized Cancer Center.

The basic treatments are of two types: standard chemotherapy that is compliant with the most recent guidelines, and scientifically-based molecular targeted therapeutics. We select the drugs for individual patients in cooperation with the personalized medicine department, and then deliver the customized treatment. Further, since we also conduct clinical trials in collaboration with participating specialized cancer hospitals across the country, experimental treatments such as a new drugs or new combination chemotherapies may also be available.

We maintain cooperative relationships with the region’s medical institutions and affiliated hospitals. Therefore, if a patient’s medical condition is stable, we can make reciprocal introductions to local medical institutions to arrange for hospital transfer followed by continuation of care.