Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara Advancing Cancer Care Through First in Asia Pacific Nuclear Medicine System & Comprehensive Oncology Facility

Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara (THKD), one of the leading private hospitals in Malaysia has launched its latest comprehensive cancer facility, Oncology and Nuclear Medicine @ Thomson Hospital - providing both diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for cancer patients. The facility houses the Mediso AnyScan SPECT/CT/PET, the first Tri-modality nuclear medicine imaging equipment in the Asia Pacific region.

This revolutionary breakthrough in cancer care was officiated by Yang Berhormat Dato’ Ramanan Ramakrishnan, Member of Parliament for Sungai Buloh and Ms. Wan Nadiah Binti Wan Mohd Abdullah Yaakob, Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara.

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Ramanan Ramakrishnan

Oncology and Nuclear Medicine @ Thomson Hospital comprises the latest cancer surgical, chemotherapy, radiosurgery and radiotherapy, nuclear medicine diagnostics and theranostics services under one roof. “According to a report1 conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2020, 48,639 new cancer cases were reported in Malaysia. Cancer incidences in Malaysia are also predicted to double by 2040 where approximately 1 in 10 people in Malaysia will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Cancer is a condition that many Malaysians will have to face and it is our responsibility as a healthcare provider to ensure that as many Malaysians as possible are able to survive and live a good quality of life despite a cancer diagnosis,” said Ms. Nadiah.

L to R: Dr. Zool Hilmi Bin Awang, Consultant Nuclear Medicine Physician and Head of Nuclear Medicine; Ms. Wan Nadiah Binti Wan Mohd Abdullah Yaakob, Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara; Dr. Tan Chih Kiang, Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Head of Clinical Oncology; Yang Berhormat Dato’ Ramanan Ramakrishnan, Member of Parliament for Sungai Buloh

Adding on, “Oncology & Nuclear Medicine @ Thomson Hospital is designed to house all cancer treatment modalities under one facility to provide multi-disciplinary care with the best experience throughout the entire patient journey. We work with NGOs and patient support groups because we understand that a cancer diagnosis affects not just patients, but also their family, friends and the community around them. As such, I would like to record my appreciation to the NGOs present today for their collaboration with us in providing such invaluable support to our community: our sincere thanks to Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA), National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), National Cancer Council (MAKNA), Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM) and Prostate Cancer Society Malaysia (PCSM).”

“Additionally, our hospital is committed to ensuring that we have the highest standards of quality and safety. In fact, the Oncology & Nuclear Medicine facility will be undergoing accreditation by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards later this month so that we can benchmark ourselves internationally,” Ms. Nadiah further elaborated.

The facility has performed over 1,200 diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with oncology patients in areas such as cervix, breast, lung, rectum, head, neck and brain. Among these, the radiotherapy team has treated breast cancer patients using the Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) technique, and brain cancer with radiotherapy and craniospinal irradiation (CSI). The facility has also been receiving patients from across Malaysia and Southeast Asia region – indicating a need for such services amongst patients from neighbouring countries.

THKD is constantly innovating to provide the latest diagnostic and therapeutic services for their patients. Nuclear Medicine therapies such as Yittrium-90, Lutetium-177, Ac-225 and high dose I-131 Therapy are in the pipeline, while radiotherapy and radiosurgery services will be further sub-specialised into gynaecology, haematology and paediatric treatments. THKD also envisions collaborating with other healthcare institutions in Malaysia and other countries in making cancer therapies accessible to them.

“At Thomson Hospital, our promise to our patients is that we will walk with you on your road to recovery. We are pleased to be one of the pioneers to offer this Mediso AnyScan SPECT/CT/PET, and we are confident that these facilities will empower cancer patients to get accurate cancer staging, the best care and better health outcome taking into consideration the needs of each individual patient. Each patient is special,” said Dr. Tan Chih Kiang, Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Head of Clinical Oncology.

Adding on, Dr. Zool Hilmi Bin Awang, Consultant Nuclear Medicine Physician and Head of Nuclear Medicine, assured that, “The effective diagnostic tools provide computed tomography for anatomic correlation, which is a needed improvement for cancer care in identifying areas of hypermetabolism illustrated in PET. It involves an injection of a safe radioactive tracer that helps detect diseased cells, as recommended by a specialist. Meanwhile, we can treat cancers like neuroendocrine tumours, prostate cancer, and thyroid cancer which means, we treat what we see and we see what we treat.”

In conjunction with the launch of Oncology & Nuclear Medicine @ Thomson Hospital, THKD will be offering a number of health promotions (for a limited period) which include:

1. F-18 FDG PETCT scan at a promotional price of RM1,980 per scan
2. Ga-68 PSMA or Ga-68 DOTATE at RM2,600 per scan
3. 20 percent discount on cancer screening for patients’ family members
4. Free second opinion consultation with their Consultant Clinical Oncologist
5. 15 percent discount on Feminine Health screening package

The Oncology and Nuclear Medicine facility provides a comprehensive spectrum of cancer services covering prevention, diagnosis, treatment, supportive treatment and palliative care - offering the full range of surgery, systemic therapy, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine. It also offers associated services such as lab tests, diagnostic imaging, nutrition, rehabilitation, pharmacy and psycho-social support.

Thomson Hospital continuously advocates for an evolving ecosystem that drives safety, health and happiness amongst the community now and in the future and continues to enhance the quality of services to accommodate both its current and potential patients. With the launch of its latest Oncology & Nuclear Medicine facility, TKHD aims to offer comprehensive medical care with the highest international standards through world-class facilities.

1 World Health Organization. Malaysia fact sheet. Available at https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/458-malaysia-fact-sheets.pdf.