Cancer Services
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St George’s is uniquely placed in south west London as a Cancer Centre, providing high quality, patient centred diagnostics, care and treatments to our local community as well as to some regional and national patients.
St George’s provides the majority of south west London’s complex cancer surgery. We have a number of regional and supra-regional cancer services with specific expertise in the management of complex surgical patients, and we are the south west London hub for a number of services including:
- Brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) cancers
- Breast cancer
- Children’s cancer
- Gynaecological cancers
- Haematological cancers
- Head and Neck cancer
- Lung cancer
- Urology cancer
St George’s is also a national centre for skin and penile cancers.
We maintain an active cancer research portfolio and also host the South London Cancer Research Network, which aims to improve the speed, quality and integration of research, ultimately resulting in improved patient care.
Treatments
St George’s provides a full range of diagnostic services to support local patients. This includes tests and scans which are used to diagnose cancer and monitor patients during and after treatment. These tests can be imagery, such as an x-ray, or they may require some tissue, such as a biopsy. Treatment for all types of cancers may include surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy or a combination.
We have a large regional oncology service, providing both chemotherapy and biological treatments. We deliver in the region of 16,000 cycles of treatment each year. Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells.
Hormone therapy works by manipulating or reducing the production or activity of particular hormones in the body. It is most commonly used to treat breast cancer and prostate cancer. The type of cancer being treated will determine the type of hormone therapy given.
St George’s provides the majority of south west London’s complex cancer surgery. The Trust receives referrals from local services as well as from further afield. We are a tertiary center which performs much of the cancer surgery for several local hospitals.
The Royal Marsden Hospital provides radiotherapy services for St George’s patients. Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells. This treatment is used to cure cancer or to relieve symptoms.
Screening services
St George’s hosts the regional breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening services. Screening services help the hospital find out if patients have a higher risk of developing cancer or other health problems. They look for cancerous and pre-cancerous cells or abnormal changes to aid in early diagnosis or treating the affected cells before cancer develops.
Additional support/Palliative care
Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of people facing serious illness. The palliative care service at St George’s provides specialist support and advice to patients with progressive life-limiting illness and their carers, regardless of diagnosis. We are very proud of our close working relationships with the voluntary sector and community providers including several local hospices.
The Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centre located in Grosvenor Wing provides free confidential information and support for anyone affected by cancer. This may be for patients, carers, family or friends of someone who has or has had cancer. The centre offers emotional and practical support and has a fully stocked library with information on different types of cancer, treatments and other aspects of living with or after cancer.
Support is also provided by the Chaplaincy-Spiritual Care Team, located in Grosvenor Wing. They are a multi-faith, multi-denominational team which offer spiritual and religious care to patients and visitors.
Key staff
Many people are involved in diagnosing and caring for cancer patients. Each cancer type has a specific multidisciplinary team of staff diagnosing and providing treatment and care for patients. These may include:
- Oncologists, also known as cancer consultants, and may be medical, clinical or surgical. Medical oncologists specialise in treating cancer with chemotherapy and clinical oncologists specialise in using radiotherapy to treat cancer.
- Clinical Nurse Specialists or ‘keyworkers’ who coordinate aspects of patient care and offer ongoing support to patients and their families both in an inpatient and outpatient setting
- Radiologists who specialise in reading scans and x-rays
- Geneticists
- Pathologists who specialise in looking at cells under a microscope to determine if cancer is present
- Dietitians
- Physiotherapists
- Occupational therapists
- Speech and language therapists
Multidisciplinary teams specialise in specific types of cancer. They discuss with each other all patients with a confirmed or suspected cancer diagnosis, and potential treatment options depending on a patient’s test results and situation. This is normally where cancer is diagnosed. This team approach ensures all treatment options are considered and patients receive the best care. St George’s also links with specialists from other hospitals to discuss patients via video link.
Contact Information
- Macmillan Information and Support Centre: 020 8725 2677
- Breast Screening Centre – Rose Centre: 020 8725 4865
- Bowel Cancer Screening Centre – Based in the Endoscopy Unit 1ST Floor St James’ wing: 020 8725 4920
- Colposcopy enquiries: 0208 725 1615 / 4653
