Presentation of the Centre

IPO Coimbra is a modern public hospital providing high standard of care, early detection, prevention, training, and research. It started in 1962 and it is at the highest level of the national network for cancer care and is the reference centre for a region with around 2.5 million inhabitants.

To fulfil its mission, IPO Coimbra has 1105 members’ staff, 225 doctors, 293 nurses, and other highly qualified health professionals, including PhD’s, basic and clinical research personal, and cancer registry experts.

Having a multidisciplinary approach as a fundamental principle in Oncology, IPO Coimbra develops its activity based in Multidisciplinary Pathology Teams, focused on the patient care during the whole course of the disease, in all dimensions. In this perspective, the centre is organized around the expectations and needs of patients and families and is committed to carry out the best clinical practices regarding accessibility, quality, safety, productivity, economic and financial performance, in a culture of responsibility, sustainability and social cohesion.

Main research activities

The main aim of research at IPO Coimbra is to promote the excellence in scientific development in the area of cancer health, based on a multidisciplinary approach and according to European consensus guidelines.

The clinical investigation constitutes the priority of the research interests at IPO Coimbra, in the fields primarily involving the cancer patient care. Indeed, we intend to put our efforts to encourage and efficiently streamline scientific projects that will lead us to our goal.

The Clinical trials from Industry’s initiative and from Researcher’s initiative are planned to give greatest international visibility to the scientific research carried out at the IPO Coimbra and in Portugal.

The scientific and economic strategies are the base of Health Care Services sustainability. Therefore, our policy comprises the applicability of this knowledge to the implementation of new treatments and therapies, taking into particular consideration target therapies and cancer immunotherapy among others, in order to achieve and expand Clinical Trials in the field of oncology.

Core Facilities

The new surgical and imaging building, expected for 2025, which includes an updated Nuclear Medicine Department and a new Intensive Care Unit, are the Institution's most relevant investments that will decisively mark it, as well as the Central Region12 Multidisciplinary Pathology Teams, including one for Oncosexology.

• Dedicated Palliative Care Team.
• 7.600 new patients/year.
• 5.100 Surgery/year.
• 176.000 Medical Appointments/year.
• 36.500 Radiotherapy session/year.
• 23.800 Chemotherapy session/year.
• 176 Beds.
• 4 linear accelerators; 1 Brachytherapy unit; 28 seats in the Chemotherapy Day Care; Pain Management Day Care.

Education

Undergraduate and postgraduate education play a fundamental role, especially medical training. Qualifying health professionals for a comprehensive Oncology practice in all dimensions of the disease and the human being is our biggest challenge.