The Department of Clinical Oncology aims to function as “one of the leading Comprehensive Cancer Centres in South East Asia and Southern China by applying innovative diagnostic techniques, delivery of state-of-the-art treatment, development of patients support services and clinical laboratory research, as well as teaching undergraduate and post-graduate students”. The fully integrated University Department and the Hospital Authority Department of Clinical Oncology, bringing together medical oncologists, haematological oncologists, radiation oncologists, and palliative medicine specialists, provide quality cancer care through a multi-disciplinary team approach ranging from cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, active treatment, to palliative and psychosocial care in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Multi-disciplinary clinics and meetings are held on a weekly basis in close collaboration with other departments in a wide range of malignancies including head and neck cancers, breast cancer, gynaecological cancers, lung cancer, liver cancer, upper and lower gastrointestinal cancers, cancers of the central nervous system as well as paediatric cancers.

The Department primarily services patients with cancer in the New Territories East Cluster region, as well as accepting regional and international referrals in highly sub-specialized areas such as Intensity-modulated radiotherapy and novel therapeutics for solid cancers. Currently the Department sees around 3,800 new cases of cancer per year.

The Comprehensive Cancer Trials Unit (CCTU) have conducted over 100 clinical and translational studies to date, with active collaborations both regionally and internationally, providing a mature infrastructure to undertake phase I/II/III cancer therapeutics evaluation studies, as well as facilitating the translation of laboratory work to the clinical setting.

The basic laboratories in the Department focus on drug testing, molecular markers, virology, genetics and epigenetics, proteomics and immunology particularly in prevalent cancers in Hong Kong including liver cancer, nasopharynx cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. The availability of a tumor tissue and serum bank with matching clinical data collected with a companion protocol provides a valuable resource for translational research.

The Cancer Patient Resource Centre (CPRC) provides an “Oasis of calm” for patients and relatives with easy access to cancer information resources, group therapy, relaxation therapy, and other psycho-social services.

In the current system-based integrated undergraduate medical curriculum, we are involved in introducing basic clinical and communication skills to Year 1 & 2 students with workshops and lectures. In addition, selected study modules covering interesting oncology specific topics are offered to Year 3 students. The Oncology Module in Year 5 aims at reinforcing general medical and surgical knowledge and skills in an integrated manner, and allows students to acquire ability in handling oncology-related problems as a non-specialist. A significant part of palliative medicine teaching is also deliver in the Module to enable students to identify patients’ physical and psychological needs. For postgraduate studies, clinical training is fully accredited by the College of Physicians (Medical Oncology) and College of Radiologists (Clinical Oncology and Palliative Care). On the laboratory side, major research fields for students include drug testing, molecular markers, virology, genetics and epigenetics, proteomics and immunology.