The Department of Clinical Oncology of the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has recently been bestowed the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Foundation Cancer Care Team Award, recognising its multidisciplinary team for providing outstanding  care for lung cancer patients. Nominations for the Award were made by patients from all over the world. The CUHK’s lung cancer team, led by Dr. Herbert Ho Fung LOONG, Assistant Professor (Clinical) of the Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine at CUHK, received the award for the “Asia & Rest of World” region. His team members include oncologists, nurses, research assistants and pharmacists.

Patients Nominate the Multidisciplinary Team for Excellent Cancer Care

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world. More than 1.6 million people die of this disease every year and more than half of the new cases occur in Asia. To recognise the multidisciplinary teams that provide the highest quality care for lung cancer patients, the IASLC Foundation established the “Cancer Care Team Award”. Awardees are nominated by patients from all over the world for outstanding medical teams. Winning teams are selected from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia & Rest of World.  

The multidisciplinary team of the Department of Clinical Oncology of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK, including 13 experts from different medical fields, received the 2018 IASLC Foundation Cancer Care Team Award for Asia & Rest of World.

Professor Tony Shu Kam MOK,Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Professor of Clinical Oncology and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Oncology of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK, stated, “The recognition from IASLC has encouraged both me and the team. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in Hong Kong. With advances in medical research, there are more new lung cancer treatments related to different genetic variants coming up. Providing the best personalised care for patients is the goal of our team and the entire Department. We hope to provide patients with a good quality of life when they are living with the disease.”

Dr. Herbert Ho Fung LOONG,who led the award-winning team, is deeply honoured by the Award. Dr. LOONG said, “The significance of the Award is that it is directly nominated by patients. It means our patient-oriented treatment approach meets the needs of patients and is agreed by them. The clinical oncology team of the CUHK Faculty of Medicine will continue to strive to give lung cancer patients the best care through the multidisciplinary collaborations among different disciplines, including oncologists, nurses, research assistants and pharmacists.”

Twenty Clinical Trials for Lung Cancer to Provide Patients with More Treatment Options  

The Department of Clinical Oncology of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK is an integrated academic and clinical unit providing state-of-the-art cancer care for over 5,300 new patient consultations annually, including over 800 new lung cancer cases. The Department provides quality cancer care ranging from active treatment to palliative care and hospice services in both inpatient and outpatient settings through a multidisciplinary approach by a dedicated team of oncologists, palliative medicine specialists, nurses, radiation therapists, medical physicists, clinical pharmacists and other allied health professionals.  

To improve treatment outcomes, the Department provides patients with opportunities to participate in clinical trials for more treatment options. Currently, there are over 20 active lung cancer clinical trials co-ordinated through the Comprehensive Cancer Trials Unit in collaboration with the CUHK Phase 1 Clinical Trial Centre.

About the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer  

The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is a global organisation dedicated to the study of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. Founded in 1974, the Association's membership includes more than 7,500 lung cancer specialists who form a global network through over 100 countries. It has been built to conquer cancers that occur in the lung and the thoracic cavity worldwide. For more details, please visit the website of IASLC: www.iaslc.org.

The multidisciplinary team of the Department of Clinical Oncology of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK receives the 2018 IASLC Foundation Cancer Care Team Award. The team is led by Dr. Herbert LOONG (6th from left), Assistant Professor (Clinical) of the Department, and the team members include oncologists, nurses, research assistants and pharmacists. (5th from right) Professor Tony MOK, Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Professor of Clinical Oncology and Chairman of the Department of Clinical Oncology of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK.

Dr. Herbert LOONG (1st from left) and some members of the award-winning team received the IASLC Foundation Cancer Care Team Award at the IASLC 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Toronto in September 2018.