The Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital is a non-profit cancer-dedicated hospital near George Town in Penang,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. Located at the

Tanjung Bungah Tanjung Bungah (also spelt as ''Tanjong Bungah'') is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. It is located along the northern coast of Penang Island between Batu Ferringhi and Tanjung Tokong, and about northwest of the city centre. Tanjung ...

suburb, the 40-bed hospital was founded in 1976 and offers specialist treatments for cancer patients, including

tomotherapy Tomotherapy is a radiation therapy modality, in which the patient is scanned across a modulated strip-beam, so that only one “slice” (Greek prefix “tomo-”) of the target is exposed at any one time by the linear accelerator (linac) beam. ...

, radiosurgery and

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothe ...

History

Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital was established by six

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

nuns of the

Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood, founded in 1947, is an international congregation of religious sisters that serves in 11 countries, both in the developed and developing world. It serves in various schools, prisons, and hospit ...

. The construction of the hospital began in 1974 and whilst waiting for the hospital's

occupancy Within the context of building construction and building codes, "occupancy" refers to the use, or intended use, of a building, or portion of a building, for the shelter or support of persons, animals or property. A closely related meaning is t ...

certificate, the nuns took the initiative to collect public donations for the project. The hospital was opened in 1976. Initially, Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital focused on

palliative care Palliative care (derived from the Latin root , or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Wit ...

of late-stage cancer patients. In 1979, the then Chief Ministers of Penang,

Lim Chong Eu Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu (; 28 May 1919 – 24 November 2010) was a Malaysian politician who served as the 2nd Chief Minister of Penang from May 1969 to October 1990. He was also the founding president of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN). ...

, declared the opening of its Outpatient Complex and Radiotherapy Unit. Within the year, the hospital also obtained its first radiotherapy machine. Further developments included the completion of a day chemotherapy unit in 1999 and a palliative outpatient clinic in 2001.

Services

The hospital specialises in

cancer treatments Cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy (including immunotherapy such as monoclonal antibody therapy) and synthetic lethality, most commonly as a series of separate treatments (e.g ...

, including the following services. *

Tomotherapy Tomotherapy is a radiation therapy modality, in which the patient is scanned across a modulated strip-beam, so that only one “slice” (Greek prefix “tomo-”) of the target is exposed at any one time by the linear accelerator (linac) beam. ...

* Stereotactic radiosurgery * Intensity modulated radiotherapy * Image-guided radiotherapy * 3D conformal radiotherapy * 3D

brachytherapy Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy where a sealed radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment. ''Brachy'' is Greek for short. Brachytherapy is commonly used as an effective treatment for cervical, prost ...

Chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothe ...

Oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''� ...

Palliative care Palliative care (derived from the Latin root , or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses. Wit ...

References

{{Authority control Hospitals in Penang Hospitals established in 1976

History

Services

See also

References