DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY

Introduction

The very first service of radio and chemotherapy under one roof in Nepal was started at the radiotherapy unit of Bir hospital in 1991. Dr Tara Manandhar, the first oncologist of the country, led the unit. The service was started with one Cobalt-60 tele therapy machine and two “daycare” beds. It started providing curative as well as palliative treatment of cancer patients from the very beginning.

In 2003, when Bir hospital became a part of National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), the unit started academic program i.e. MD in radiation oncology. In 2013 the unit was upgraded into a department and named Department of Clinical Oncology. From 2013 the department is conducting DM (Fellowship) program in Medical Oncology.

Head of Department: Associate professor Dr Bibek Acharya, MD Consultant Radiation Oncologist

Faculties:

  1. Professor Dr Aarati Shah, MD
    Consultant Radiation Oncologist,
    Coordinator of MD Radiation Oncology Program
  2. Professor Dr Bishnu Dutta Paudel, MD
    Coordinator of DM Medical Oncology Program
  3. Associate professor Dr Bibek Acharya, MD
    Consultant radiation oncologist
  4. Dr Ambuj Karn, MD
    Assistant professor Radiation Oncologist
  5. Dr Sandhya Chapagain, MD
    Assistant professor radiation oncologist
  6. Dr Kanchan Adhikari, PhD
    Medical Physicist

Technicians:

  1. Mr. Ramchandra Sah
  2. Mr. Dilip Tamrakar
  3. Mr. Dip Kumar Yadav

Services:

  1. Radiotherapy:
    Teletherapy: Cobalt 60 teletherapy machine- Curative and palliative radiotherapy
    Brachytherapy: Uterine cervical cancers, Endometrial cancers, Esophageal cancers
  2. Chemotherapy: Solid tumors and Hematological cancers
  3. Palliative therapy: palliative radiotherapy, palliative chemotherapy, Best supportive care

Academic Programs:

  1. MD in Radiation Oncology
  2. DM in Medical Oncology

Future Plan:

There is a great need to upgrade the existing department into a comprehensive cancer center at Bir hospital. A project has been proposed which has the following suggestions:

  1. To develop different units with adequate manpower such as solid tumor unit, hemato-oncology unit, palliative unit etc.
  2. To acquire the land and construct the bunkers and building with ample parking space.
  3. To start the modern radiation oncology unit with modern radiation machines such as Linear Accelerator with 3D-CRT, IMRT, SBRT facilities.
  4. To start modern Hemato-oncology unit with autologous/allogenic stem cell therapy facilities.
  5. To start Palliative and supportive care unit with critical care facilities.
  6. To start preventive oncology unit.
  7. To start research wing.
  8. To start telemedicine facility.
  9. To start cancer registry.
  10. To strengthen the existing charity services for poor patients.
  11. In the second phase, a modern pathology lab and radiology unit dedicated to oncology should be started in the same building of clinical oncology.

Expected outcome:

  1. The proposed project will fulfill the unmet need of a comprehensive cancer center in Kathmandu, Nepal.
  2. After acquiring the above-mentioned set up of department of Clinical oncology, NAMS, Bir Hospital will be ready to provide world-class treatment and care to the cancer patients within the country and patients will have no need to go abroad for chemo and radiation therapy, thus retaining a lot of money in the country.
  3. Able patients and their kin do not need to give up their jobs or studies because of treatment.
  4. The residents enrolled in the MD/DM radiotherapy/oncology program will get the optimum knowledge and the oncologists produced by NAMS will be of international standard.
  5. Bir hospital is recognized as a hospital of poor patients. Even poor patients will get standard treatment in low price or charity.
  6. A standard cancer center always gets funds/charity from rich people and developed countries. That fund will be utilized to treat poor patients and for betterment of institution and society.
  7. Definitely, outcome cannot be measured in a short span of time. Eventually, this center will help to reduce the morbidity, mortality and improve the quality of life of cancer patients in Nepal in a long run.
  8. The upgraded cancer center will start preventive oncology along with cancer registry and initiate international relationship to reduce the burden of cancer worldwide.