TO ENHANCE oncology practices and improve patient care for Cebuano individuals, the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) Cancer Center formalized a partnership with Russia’s Napalkov Cancer Center on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024.
The MOU outlines a future collaboration focused on advancing scientific, educational, and innovative activities in the field of oncology.
The two institutions will collaborate on scientific, educational, and innovative activities in medicine, such as but not limited to oncology. Oncology is a branch of medicine that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
The signing happened on the third day of the inaugural “Cebu Tourism, Health, and Business Summit,” hosted by the Cebu Capitol from August 21-23, 2024.
The summit features two major events: a medical symposium and a tourism and investment forum.
The signing was witnessed by Cebu Provincial Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and the Department of Health in Central Visayas director Dr. Jaime Bernadas.
VSMMC chief Dr. Gerardo Aquino Jr. said this partnership also serves as a preparatory step for the upcoming inauguration of their new cancer center, which will be the first of its kind in any public or government-run hospital across the Visayas region.
“Para we can share technologies, knowledge, and also, in a way, whatever their best practices our doctors can learn. They have seen our facilities, and even for them, medyo at par na ta in terms of facilities, skills, and our expertise as atong mga doctor,” he said.
(So that we can share technologies, knowledge, and also, in a way, allow our doctors to learn from their best practices. They have seen our facilities, and they believe that, in terms of facilities, skills, and the expertise of our doctors, we are quite comparable.)
He said this will all boil down to improved services for patients.
Discussions
The Russian delegation from the Napalkov Cancer Center in Saint Petersburg, led by Director Dr. Vladimir Mikhailovich Moiseyenko, also showcased on Friday their cancer treatment practices.
It includes medical oncology with the use of chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and other drugs to treat cancer, radiation oncology with the use of radiation therapy to treat cancer, and surgical oncology, the use of surgery and other procedures to treat cancer.
Moiseyenko highlighted three key components in cancer treatment: cancer evolution, metabolic therapy, and the role of major pharmaceutical companies.
In his discussion, Moiseyenko noted that disseminated cancer remains incurable by standard methods due to its perpetually evolving ecosystem. He suggested that metabolic therapy could be a promising and innovative approach to cancer treatment.
Additionally, he emphasizes that major pharmaceutical companies play a significant role in regulating the development and testing of new drugs, often influencing the perspectives of both the medical community and patients.
MOU with Capitol
On June 6 of this year, Cebu Provincial Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Dr. Vladimir Mikhailovich Moiseyenko signed an MOU to collaborate on cancer research and treatment.
This MOU is one of the key outcomes of the Capitol’s visit to Russia, which also included participation in the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum 2024.
The partnership is expected to benefit the Province of Cebu, which oversees four provincial hospitals, two island hospitals, and 10 district hospitals.
The Napolkov Cancer Center is one of the largest and most esteemed research and treatment facilities in Russia, known for its exceptional specialty medical care.
Founded on March 15, 1927, as the Institute of Oncology, the center is one of the oldest medical institutions in the North-Western Federal District of Russia. It honors its founder, Nikolai Pavlovich Napalkov, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert, and recognized as the father of oncology in Russia. / CDF