History
Opened July 10th, 1964, an area of excellence at which teaching of international level, innovative research and care activities dialogue for the health of patients, and for over 50 years an integral part of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, the Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli took on the legal form of Foundation from 1st August 2015. A path that, in full continuity with the history of Gemelli, has allowed the acquisition of the autonomy necessary to manage its ever-increasing complexity and face the challenges imposed by a health context in strong evolution.
Profile
The Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) structures in an organic way all the Units and Services that perform oncological activities within the Foundation, strengthening the principle of global care throughout the patient's clinical-care path, through a staff with integrated skills including psycho-oncologists, nutritionists, people dedicated to reception programs and humanization of care. We offer a global and modern response to patient's needs from the diagnosis through the therapeutic phase to the end of life. Patient management is taken care of by multi-professional groups dedicated to a specific type of cancer, who discuss cases and share decisions and include an Oncological Care Manager, facilitator of contacts between the patient and the members of the Board. The CCC is home to a structured basic and translational research on cancer combined with an integrated portfolio of services and services that embrace the patient's entire clinical-care path.
Specialities
Research aimed at strengthening the possibilities of intervention of precision medicine, through the identification and selection of patients with specific tumor characteristics and the use of the different "weapons" available, chemotherapy, molecular target drugs, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, in a combined and integrated way.
Our area of specialization for clinical and investigational activities are:
- Colorectal and gastro-intestinal cancer
- Lung cancer
- Urinary-tract tumors
- Breast cancer
- Neuroendocrine tumors
- Head ad neck tumors
- Melanoma and sarcoma
- Tumors of unknown origin
We are also involved in translational research programs.
Palliative and Supportive Care
We assure the continuity of care for patients with advanced disease undergoing chemotherapies as well for those no longer benefiting from anticancer treatments, sure that the progressive palliative care enhances the patients/family comfort day by day and promote more mindful and conscious living whether the future holds death, remission or cure.
After an assessment by a multidisciplinary team, patients and families are involved into the decisions about anticancer therapies, palliative or exclusive supportive care. The team evaluates physical, psychological and social needs of the patients to select the best assistance and the best setting to perform it. The supportive and palliative care can be provided on site or in the community. When integrated or exclusive palliative care is delivered by external Services, our support continues through the effective communication of decisions made by the multidisciplinary team. Quality of care is assured by adherence to local and international guidelines and recommendations.
Last update: February 2023
