Wollongong Private Hospital
Part of Ramsay Health Care

For the best outcomes from your treatment and follow-up care, you need a multidisciplinary team who specialises in treating your specific type of cancer. 

Multidisciplinary teams work together to discuss your diagnosis and determine the best treatment plan for you, based on your pathology results and health history. Different cancers have different multidisciplinary teams made up of different health professionals specialising in that specific cancer type.  

Wollongong Private Hospital has multidisciplinary teams across most cancer types.

 

Blood (lymphoma, leukaemia & myeloma)

Blood cancers – such as lymphoma, leukaemia and myeloma – occur when your body makes abnormal blood cells that grow rapidly and out of control, making it difficult for your bone marrow and lymphatic system to work the way it should.

Read more about blood cancers.

Diagnosis: Blood cancers can be detected by blood tests. Pathologists look for specific signs and markers of cancer in your blood. 

Treatment: Treatment for blood cancers may involve chemotherapy or other targeted drug therapy and/or radiotherapy.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping, poor appetite.

 

Bone

Bone cancer occurs when cells in your bones or connective tissues grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour.

Read more about bone cancer.

Diagnosis: Signs or bone cancer can include swelling, stiffness or pain in the affected area. You may also experience a bone fracture. Bone cancer can be detected through blood tests, scans such as X-rays or MRI scans, and/or a biopsy from the affected area.

Treatment: Treatment for blood cancers may involve surgery to remove a tumour, and chemotherapy or other targeted drug therapy and/or radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Pancreatic

Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in the pancreas grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour. A pancreatic tumour can affect the way your pancreas works, including the functioning of the exocrine and endocrine glands.

Read more about pancreatic cancer.

Diagnosis:Pancreatic cancer rarely causes symptoms in its early stages. Symptoms may appear as the cancer grows and spreads, and can include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting and a loss of appetite. Blood tests, scans and a biopsy are used to diagnose pancreatic cancer.

Treatment: Treatment for pancreatic cancer can include surgery to remove the tumour. You may also have radiotherapy, chemotherapy or other targeted drug or immunotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Urological (including kidney, bladder, testicular & prostate)

Urological cancers are cancers that affect the structure of the male and female urinary system (including kidney, bladder and urethral cancer) and the male reproductive system (including testicular, prostate and penile cancers).

Read more about prostate cancer

Diagnosis:The symptoms of urological cancers will depend on the type of cancer but can include changes in urination and sexual functioning. Urological cancers can be detected using blood and urine tests, scans and/or a cystoscopy or ureteroscopy. A biopsy of the affected area will be undertaken to confirm a cancer diagnosis.

Treatment: Treatment for urologic cancers will depend on the cancer type but can include surgery to remove the tumour. You may also have radiotherapy, chemotherapy or other targeted drug or immunotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Bowel & colorectal

Bowel and colorectal cancer occurs when cells in the lining of your colon or rectum grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour.

Read more about bowel and colorectal cancer

Diagnosis: Not all bowel cancers show symptoms. Some common signs or symptoms include unusual bowel habits, bleeding after going to the toilet, stomach pain and unexplained weight loss. Bowel cancer can be detected through an at-home screening test and confirmed by a colonoscopy and biopsy.

Treatment: Treatment for bowel and colorectal cancers may involve surgery to remove a tumour, and chemotherapy or other targeted drug or immunotherapy and/or radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Brain

Brain cancer occurs when cells in your brain grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour. Brain cancer can occur as a primary tumour or it can occur when cancer in another part of your body spreads to your brain.

Read more about Brain Cancer

Diagnosis: Signs and symptoms of brain cancer can include seizures, weakness or paralysis in a part of your body and issues with your sight, taste and hearing. The main tests for brain cancer include CT, MRI and PET scans.

Treatment: Treatment for brain cancer may involve surgery to remove a tumour, and chemotherapy or other targeted drug or immunotherapy and/or radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Breast

Breast cancer occurs when cells lining the lobules and ducts of your breast grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour.

Read more about breast cancer

Diagnosis: Not all breast cancers show symptoms. Some common signs and symptoms can include new lumps or changes to the shape of your breast, pain in the breast or nipple, dimpling in the breast or nipple and nipple discharge. Breast cancer can be detected through a mammogram or ultrasound. A biopsy of the affected are will be taken to confirm your diagnosis.

Treatment: Treatment for breast cancer may involve surgery to remove a tumour, and chemotherapy or other targeted drug, hormonal or immunotherapy and/or radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal cancers occur when cells lining the gastrointestinal tract – anywhere from your oesophagus to your intestines – grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour. Gastrointestinal cancers can include oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer. Bowel and colorectal cancers are a type of gastrointestinal cancer.

Read more about gastrointestinal cancers

Diagnosis: Signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal cancer will depend on the specific area of your body that is affected. For example, a sign of stomach cancer may include reflux, and a sign of liver cancer may include pain on the right side of your abdomen. Gastrointestinal cancer can be detected through blood tests, scans or an endoscopy. A biopsy of the affected area will be taken to confirm your diagnosis.

Treatment: Treatment for gastrointestinal cancers may involve surgery to remove a tumour, and chemotherapy or other targeted drug or immunotherapy and/or radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Gynaecological

Gynaecological cancers occur when cells in the female reproductive system grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour. Gynaecological cancers can include ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, vaginal cancer, vulvar cancer and cancer of the fallopian tubes.

Read more about types of gynaecological cancers

Diagnosis: Signs and symptoms of gynaecological cancer can be non-specific, making them difficult to identify. Common signs may include abdominal bloating, loss of appetite, frequent urination, constipation and menstrual irregularities. Gynaecological cancers can be detected through screening or scans, such as a CT scan. A biopsy of the affected area will be taken to confirm your diagnosis.

Treatment: Treatment for gynaecological cancers may involve surgery to remove a tumour, and chemotherapy or other targeted drug, hormonal or immunotherapy and/or radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Head & neck

Head and neck cancers usually occur when cells that line the moist, mucosal surfaces inside the head and neck grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour. There are many different types of head and neck cancer, including laryngeal cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, oral cancer, and paranasal sinus cancer.

Read more about Head and Neck Cancers

Diagnosis: Not all head and neck cancers cause symptoms. Some common signs and symptoms may include swelling, lumps or bumps in the affected area, changes to your voice, nose bleeds or unusual nasal discharge. Head and neck cancers can be detected through screening or scans, such as a CT scan. A biopsy of the affected area will be taken to confirm your diagnosis.

Treatment: Treatment for head and neck cancers may involve surgery to remove a tumour, and chemotherapy or other targeted drug or immunotherapy and/or radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.

 

Melanoma & skin cancer 

Melanoma occurs when the body’s pigment cells, called melanocytes, grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a skin lesion. Non-melanoma skin cancer is cancer that occurs in any other skin cell that is not a melanocyte.

Read more about Melanoma and skin cancer

Diagnosis: Melanoma and skin cancers appear as an unusual spot or lump on your skin, or a change to an existing mole. You will have a biopsy of the suspicious area to confirm a diagnosis of cancer. You may have other scans or tests to see if the cancer has spread beyond the suspicious skin lesion.

Treatment: Treatment for melanoma and skin cancers usually involves surgery to remove the affected area. You may also have radiotherapy, chemotherapy or other targeted drug or immunotherapy to destroy cancer cells.

Wellness services: In addition to your treatment, you may also need to access the allied health and/or cancer wellness support services offered at Wollongong Private Hospital to help you manage side effects or symptoms such as fatigue, difficultly sleeping and poor appetite.