History
The Department is situated in the University Hospital of Ioannina in the North-West of Greece and is affiliated with the Medical School of the University of Ioannina. The Department provides oncological care integrated with palliative care for a catchment area population of 1,000,000 in Western Greece and is actively engaged in clinical and translational research. It is a member of the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group.
Profile
The Department consists of a 26-bed day unit for daily examination/treatment of patients, a 28-bed inpatient oncology ward and the clinic facilities with 8 private examination rooms. The staff are Associate Professor George Pentheroudakis, Head of Department, 5 medical oncology consultants, 5 medical oncology registrars, 26 nurses trained in the care of oncology patients and one palliative care nurse. Staff and facilities for clinical and translational cancer research include a data manager, one research nurse and two secretaries. Facilities are available for radiotherapy, brachytherapy, CT and MRI-based imaging, surgical oncologic care, medical care. A PET scanner is expected to be installed in the near future.
Specialities
The department specialises and has active foci of research in the fields of cancer of unknown primary, gastrointestinal cancer and investigator-initiated clinical trials run by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group. A liquid biopsy research network is being set up.
Palliative and Supportive Care
Palliative and Supportive Care is offered both in the clinic, the day unit and inpatient oncology ward. The patient is interviewed by a medical oncology consultant or registrar and, when needs are identified, is evaluated by a joint team consisting of the medical oncologist, psychologist, anaesthesiologist and palliative care nurse. Further interviews with a psychiatrist, interventional procedures by the anaesthesiologists and follow up sessions with the medical oncologists and palliative care nurse are organised as deemed appropriate in the context of the clinic or day unit.
Last update: December 2022
