Presentation of the Centre

HUS Comprehensive Cancer Centre (HUS CCC) combines expertise in several specialties and its clinicians are actively involved in clinical and translational research. HUS CCC is responsible for the oncological treatment of cancer throughout the area of Helsinki and Uusimaa, with a population of approximately 1.7 million. It has overall responsibility for the treatment of cancer patients, integrating the oncological treatment of all cancer types including haematology and breast surgery. Each year, CCC treats over almost 40 000 patients, of whom 15 000 are new patients. The Centre employs almost 700 health care professionals.

Main Research Activities

HUS supports clinical and translational cancer research from first-in-man and early phase I studies to large Phase III and IV trials, and range from surgical oncology, radiation therapy, medical oncology and haematology to palliative care and research on psychosocial aspects of cancer. The scientists of CCC coordinate and take part in national and international clinical trials. HUS CCC has one of the first global hospital-based neutron accelerators for BNCT (boron neutron capture therapy).

Core Facilities

Medical research and care in Helsinki take place under the umbrella of the Academic Medical Centre Helsinki (AMCH), which consists of the HUS and the University of Helsinki and provides a comprehensive collection of core services. Systems medicine approach has been built for preclinical drug research, predictive biomarker discovery and novel personalized medicine clinical trials. Besides haematological cancers the systems precision medicine approach has been expanded to include lymphomas and solid tumours using innovative organoid and cancer-on-a-chip technologies.

Education

As a university level teaching hospital, HUS CCC is responsible for the teaching of medical students, specialist training for clinical haematology, medical oncology and radiotherapy and for the training of graduate students in the fields of clinical and translational oncology and haematology. The Centre also functions as a training unit for the sub-specialty in breast surgery and palliative medicine. In addition, the Centre educates hospital physicists, nursing students, and a formal cancer nurse education program has also been developed in collaboration with the Helsinki Metropolia University of applied Sciences.