Radiotherapy machine
Department of Oncology
INTRODUCTION
The Department of Oncology was established on 17 May 2019.
On 28 July 2023, the Radiotherapy Unit was put into operation, and on 17 February 2025, the Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Unit was officially established.
The Department of Oncology currently has 49 staff members, including 18 doctors, 25 nurses, 04 technicians and 02 engineers.
After seven years of establishment and growth, the Department of Oncology of Tra Vinh General Hospital has steadily become a trusted provider of diagnosis, treatment and care for cancer patients in the province and the Mekong Delta region.
- Functions:
- Examination, diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients from the province and neighboring provinces.
- Receives patients and provides inpatient and outpatient examination and treatment for thyroid diseases and benign tumors, as well as palliative care for end-stage patients…
- Performs emergency or elective surgery for patients when surgery is indicated.
- Participates in scientific research and international cooperation, applies new techniques in diagnosis and treatment, provides guidance to lower-level facilities and trains staff.
- Health communication and education, and participation in cancer prevention programs.
- Supervises students and trainees studying at the department.
- Tasks:
- Provides examination, screening, early detection, diagnosis and treatment for oncology patients.
- Treatment and counseling on pain relief and palliative care for patients with end-stage cancer.
- Inpatient chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer patients who cannot be treated as outpatients.
- Organizes and participates in the hospital's 24/7 on-call duty.
- Organizes consultations and coordinates with other departments in the hospital; participates in hospital-wide, interdepartmental, external and inter-hospital consultations on diagnosis and treatment when assigned.
- Implements and applies modern medical technologies and techniques, and methods for diagnosing and treating cancers.
- Organizes and participates in training and supervising students and trainees from hospitals and universities. Manages the personnel, assets, technical equipment and funds assigned in accordance with the law. Performs other tasks as assigned
by the hospital Director.
- Strong development of surgical oncology techniques
Over the years, the department has successfully performed many surgeries for cancers and benign tumors, enabling people to access specialized services locally and reducing the burden of referrals. The techniques implemented include:
- Colectomy for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
- Surgery for gastric tumors with partial or total gastrectomy depending on the case.
- Mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer according to standard protocols.
- Surgery for benign tumors such as lipomas, soft tissue tumors, thyroid tumors, phyllodes tumors of the breast…
- Surgical treatment that ensures safety, minimal complications and shorter hospital stays for patients.
These achievements demonstrate the remarkable growth of the surgical team of the Department of Oncology at Tra Vinh General Hospital.
- Modern interventional techniques:
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver tumors and thyroid nodules. Alongside surgery, the department has implemented many minimally invasive interventional techniques.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver tumors: treats primary or secondary liver tumors with less pain and fast recovery.
Thermal ablation of thyroid nodules: preserves the thyroid gland, minimizes scarring and spares many patients with benign thyroid nodules from surgery.
PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS
- Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Unit: One of the most important milestones of the Department of Oncology is the development of the Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Unit providing same-day outpatient treatment. Outpatient treatment means patients are examined, diagnosed, treated and monitored at the medical facility without needing to stay overnight. When appropriate for the patient's condition, this approach offers many benefits:
+ Cost savings.
+ Less disruption to daily life.
+ Greater comfort.
+ Reduced risk of hospital-acquired infections.
+ Convenient for chronic conditions.
+ Reduced load on the hospital.
a. Radiotherapy techniques: Radiotherapy is a cancer treatment method that uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth. Key advantages of radiotherapy include:
- Effective destruction of cancer cells
- Precise, localized treatment.
- Preservation of organs and function.
- Minimally invasive.
- Can be combined with other treatment methods.
- Symptom relief.
b. Radiotherapy equipment: Elekta Synergy Platform linear accelerator, capable of 3D-CRT and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).
c. Chemotherapy techniques: a method that uses drugs to destroy or inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The main advantages of chemotherapy include:
- Systemic treatment.
- Tumor shrinkage.
- Reduced risk of recurrence
- Can be effectively combined with other methods to control advanced-stage disease.
The unit administers most chemotherapy regimens for common cancers, such as:
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Lung cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Liver and biliary tract cancer …
All patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy are monitored by doctors, technicians and
nurses, who check and care for them hourly throughout the chemotherapy session. Careful post-session monitoring ensures patients' well-being, allowing them to go home on the same day of treatment and minimizing hospital stays.
Having chemoradiotherapy available locally is considered a major turning point, sparing patients the burden of traveling to higher-level hospitals in Can Tho or Ho Chi Minh City.
The doctors and nurses of the Department of Oncology always strive toward the goal:
“Comprehensive treatment – humane care – standing alongside cancer patients.”
In the coming period, the Department of Oncology of Tra Vinh General Hospital will continue working toward establishing an Oncology Center with many high-tech techniques such as brachytherapy and liver resection,… to serve the public ever better.
- Department of Surgical Oncology: located on the 4th floor of Block D, comprising: 02 palliative care rooms; 3 rooms for monitoring critically ill patients; 5 general patient rooms; 2 chemotherapy rooms; 2 radiotherapy rooms; 1 intermediate care room; 1 post-operative recovery room; 1 RFA room (day treatment); 01 isolation room for patients with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) (D415). All patient rooms are spacious and clean, each with its own toilet and shower. The total number of approved (allocated) beds is 78 (100 beds in actual use)
The rooms serving professional activities include: an administrative office, a professional meeting room, a patient reception counter, an instrument washing room, a supplies and equipment room, a storage room, an on-call room and staff rooms.
Machinery and equipment include: 20 chemotherapy infusion chairs, suction machines, vital-sign monitors, syringe pumps, volumetric infusion pumps, emergency kits, portable oxygen cylinders, intubation sets, ultrasound machines and systems
for liver tumor ablation, thyroid ablation…. Wall-mounted oxygen system, air conditioning, ventilation fans, water purifiers, TVs and refrigerators. Emergency cabinets, medicine cabinets, supply cabinets and record storage cabinets. Computers and printers connected to the local network and the internet.
Inpatient treatment techniques at the Department of Oncology:
+ Mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection...
+ Surgical treatment of stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, penile cancer…
+ Surgical removal of ovarian cysts, benign breast tumors and other benign tumors…
+ Thyroid lobectomy for solitary thyroid nodules; lobectomy with near-total resection of the contralateral lobe (Dunhill procedure) for bilateral multinodular goiter.
+ Total thyroidectomy with central neck lymph node dissection (level VI).
+ Feeding gastrostomy.
+ Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver tumors.
+ Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for benign thyroid nodules.
TRAINING & RESEARCH
Continuing and postgraduate education:
- The Department of Oncology currently has 01 doctor sent for Specialist Grade II (CKII) training at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
- 04 Specialist Doctors Grade I (CKI) trained at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City.
- 01 doctor assigned to specialty training in Chemotherapy – Radiotherapy at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City.
- 01 Bachelor of Nursing assigned to training in Chemotherapy - Radiotherapy techniques at Can Tho Oncology Hospital.
- The department's staff have completed short-term certificate courses at Tra Vinh General Hospital: certificates in Infection Control, Intensive Care, Communication,...
Technology transfer:
- In 2023, Cho Ray Hospital transferred the liver tumor ablation technique.
- In 2025, Can Tho Oncology Hospital transferred the radiofrequency thyroid ablation technique.
EQUIPMENT
CT simulator
Radiofrequency ablation machine
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump
Low-pressure continuous suction machine
STAFF
The department currently has 49 staff: 18 doctors, 25 nurses, 2 engineers and 4 technicians (02 Specialist Doctors Grade II (CKII), 04 Specialist Doctors Grade I (CKI), 01 Master of Medicine (MD, MSc), 04 doctors currently undertaking Specialist Grade I (CKI) training, 10 nurses with a bachelor's degree and 08 contract staff).
