Cancer is a serious threat that can affect everyone equally.

Cancer is a leading cause of death and presently considered an increasingly common disease. It can occur to people of all ages and genders. Statistically, it is projected that in 2030, about 13.1 million people will die from cancer.  
At present, more than 40% of the life-threatening cancers can be prevented and treated. As a result, the number of cancer survivors continually increases.
 
The Horizon Regional Cancer Center at Bumrungrad Hospital recognizes that it is important to keep on improving the quality of cancer preventive care as well as treatment of cancer patients to meet the needs of patients and those at risk of developing cancer. Cancer is a complex disease prompting patients to require personalized care and treatment. Thus in treating cancer patients whose symptoms and conditions differ from one another, we are committed to providing a variety of precise treatment options that are safe and of world-class quality for our patients.
 

The Horizon Regional Cancer Center at Bumrungrad Hospital aims at being the only center for cancer care in Thailand to provide a complete range of care programs from prevention, treatment, to monitoring to prevent recurrence, based on a patient-centered approach, focusing on personalized care to treat the disease and the different and complex symptoms experienced by each individual patient.

The Horizon Regional Cancer Center at Bumrungrad Hospital is the only Thai hospital ranked among the best specialized  hospitals in the Asia Pacific region in oncology in 2023 by Newsweek and the global research firm Statista, the first ranking of its kind for the Asia Pacific region.
 

 

Prevention

We provide health examination services to determine the risk factors of developing cancer both internal ones such as genetics and external ones such as living environment and lifestyle. The aim is to prevent the disease from developing or to identify cancer cells in their early stages when symptoms have yet to appear. Then we are prepared to provide information and advice as well as personalized cancer prevention plans. Our programs are suitable for people at risk due to genetics and/or environment, and for health-conscious  people over 18 with or without family history of cancer yet concerned to check for cancer risk.

Cancer prevention screening program highlights

• A comprehensive range of health examination programs from determining the risks and accurately screening for cancer in early stages
• A team of experts in various related fields such as medical geneticists and geneticists who are able to interpret test results accurately
• Genetic testing in the hospital laboratory with world-class accreditation
• A multidisciplinary team of specialists in all related fields providing advice on health care and testing programs appropriate for each individual
  Genetics and external risk factors such as environment are analyzed to determine the extent of the risk of causing cancer and then prepare proper risk-reducing programs for patients so they face minimal risk or have a better chance of being cured of cancer.

 

Cancer diagnosis

Accurate and comprehensive diagnosis of cancer:

• TNM staging considering the following together:
  • Tumor size
  • Node involvement, and
  • Metastasis
• Diagnosis of cancer cells regarding their sensitivity to certain hormones and proteins, relying on two sets of data: whether the cancer cells have hormone receptors and whether they have human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, allowing doctors to choose the most appropriate and the most effective medicines for the patient
• Biopsy to confirm the type and severity of the abnormal lump by Bumrungrad’s well-experienced specialists in performing biopsies with high accuracy in cancer diagnosis
• Liquid biopsy for cancer diagnosis, a blood test with the next-generation sequencing, a modern technology that can find abnormal genetic material, cancer cells in the bloodstream, and certain types of cancer DNA, making it possible to estimate the number of cancer cells and to monitor the risk of recurrence or metastasis, with accuracy in diagnosis of  solid cancers such as breast, lung, and colon cancers
• Microsatellite instability (MSI) testing to see if the patient responds to immunotherapy

Bumrungrad's cancer diagnosis highlights

• Correct and timely diagnosis of the disease and its stage allowing for accurate treatment
• In-depth analysis to find out if the cancer cells are particularly sensitive to certain hormones or proteins
• Highly-experienced pathologists with expertise in performing a fine needle aspiration biopsy to accurately diagnose cancer cells

Cancer treatment
 

• Chemotherapy is treatment with drugs administered orally or intravenously to destroy cancer cells or keep them from growing.
• Radiation therapy uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells.
• Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is an IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy) technique where the radiotherapy machine rotates around the patient, continuously controlling the rotation speed, radiation dose, and shielding management. Treatment delivery time is thus reduced while precision and effectiveness is increased.
• Stem cell transplants are used to treat patients with cancer affecting blood cells. In the procedure, the patient receives healthy stem cells, their own or from donors, to replace the damaged ones.
• Brachytherapy is a type of radiation therapy for cancer treatment where tiny radioactive pellets are placed inside or next to the tumor, allowing for a precise treatment and reducing damage to healthy tissues surrounding the cancerous tumor.
• Targeted therapy is the treatment of cancer where drugs or other substances are used to inhibit cellular signaling, which controls cell growth and division.
• Immunotherapy is the treatment of cancer where the immune system is boosted to help the body effectively eliminate or control cancer cells.
• Cryotherapy is a safe and minimally invasive therapy for those with lung cancer who are not good candidates for other standard treatments like surgery, radiation 
  therapy, and chemotherapy.
• Cancer surgery is an operation to treat cancer. A variety of surgical methods are available for particular types and stages of cancer from conventional standard surgery to that using advanced technology such as robot-assisted surgery.

Bumrungrad's cancer treatment highlights

• Integration of treatment approaches considering the disease conditions such as the size, location, and stage of cancerous cells as well as the patient's mental and physical conditions in order to provide appropriate treatment for each individual, for example, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), stem cell and bone marrow transplants, brachytherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy
• The tumor board or the multidisciplinary team meeting in which different specialists work together closely sharing clinical decisions in cancer care, including oncologists, cancer surgeons, pathologists, cancer radiologists, laboratory staff, and pharmacists
• The use of AI in screening, analysis, diagnosis, and data processing to decide on cancer treatment plans as well as testing to detect cancer cell mutations from cancer biopsy tissues and blood samples, all for specific and appropriate treatment aiming at favorable outcomes for each patient

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