waiting times

Hospital Particular Alvor

Over 1H30

Urgent Care

Hospital Particular Gambelas

Over 1H30

Urgent Care

Over 1H30

Paediatrics

Hospital Particular da Madeira

Over 1H30

Urgent Care

00h00m

Paediatrics

Madeira Medical Center

Unscheduled Medical Care

Oncology Day Hospital



The HPA Group Oncology Day Hospital is available in three hospitals: Alvor (Portimão), Gambelas (Faro) and Funchal (HPM). The services focus on monitoring and clinical treatment of patients with oncological pathology and supportive care (pain / palliative).

We have a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, psychologists and specialist pain consultants, and the entire team has experience and skills in Oncology and Pain, consolidated over several years of clinical practice.

These professionals also have the support of all the services and medical specialties that the HPA provides, such as General and Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, among many others.

 

#Treatments oncology #Oncosexology #Nutrition and cancer disease #Cancer patient manager

 


Treatments oncology 

All types of treatments are carried out depending on the Oncological Pathology that the patient presents.

We work at the level of symptomatic control of the disease and its complications, focusing care on the patient and their families, integrating them into the treatment process, thus ensuring rigorous, humanized healthcare, with comfort and dignity for the patient and family.

Included as part of our care, oral medication is also made available (cytostatics, targeted therapies, analgesics and others), as well as surveillance, teaching to the patient/family and support measures - in case of complications.

Day Hospital nurses follow and monitor the patient's path within the Hospital and facilitate communication with the outside world, such as paying entities, radiotherapy centres and patient associations.

AVAILABLE  TREATMENTS

The treatments most carried out in this Unit are:

  • Oral, Intravenous, Intravesical Chemotherapy;
  • Targeted Therapeutics;
  • Oral, Intramuscular or Subcutaneous Hormone Therapy;
  • Immunotherapy;
  • Treatment with Monoclonal Antibodies, on their own or in combination with Chemotherapy;
  • Blood Transfusions;
  • Hemapheresis;
  • Pleural Drainage;
  • Paracenteses;
  • Blood Collection

 

Oncosexology

Sexuality is an integral part of life, contributing to physical and psychological balance, linking the affective, interactive and emotional dimensions.
The ability to achieve sexual health depends on several factors, which are worked out in conjunction with the Day Hospital team (your assistant doctor and nurses).
During the entire process of cancer treatment, it is inevitable that changes occur, some temporary, others permanent.

What changes can occur?

  • Urinary incontinence;

  • Weakness of the pelvic floor;

  • Dyspareunia (pain during sexual intercourse);

  • Early menopause;

  • Infertility;

  • Narrowing of the vaginal canal;

  • Loss of libido (sexual desire);

  • Fear of failure and rejection;

  • Fear of pain;

  • Decreased self-esteem and confidence (feeling less attractive, less comfortable);

  • Changes in body image (hair loss/alopecia, scars, weight changes, colostomy, nephrostomy, ileostomy, among others);

  • Loss of sensitivity;

  • Increased emotional distress (depression, irritability, anxiety, anxiety, loss of interest, sleep and appetite disturbances).

    You may not feel like having sex during treatment, and at this stage it is important to have open communication with your partner so that there is mutual pleasure. This is because your partner may feel guilt, fear of hurting, fear of the consequences of the disease and may also be suffering with the changes you are going through.
     

What changes can you adopt?

  • Take care of your self-esteem;
  • Wear different lingerie/boxers;
  • Dance with your partner;
  • Embrace him/her;
  • Prepare a surprise breakfast or dinner;
  • Eat aphrodisiac foods;
  • Talk about fantasies, past events and feelings with your partner;
  • Stimulate through touch/kisses;
  • Take a walk by the sea;
  • Buy sex toys;
  • Change the time and place of sexual intercourse, you must go to different places so that it is not routine;
  • Talk after sex;
  • Pharmacological interventions: use of creams (eg, Estriol) and/or lubricants (water-based);
  • Use vaginal dilators (if vaginal stenosis occurs);
  • Use sex therapy/counselling.

    Share, talk about your fears and anxieties with your family members, partner and with people close to you.

    Don't see sexuality as a TABOO and always count on us to support you.

 

Nutrition and cancer disease

A good nutritional state is crucial during the process of cancer treatments.

Nutritional advice from Dr. Marina Augusto Estêvão 

Lack of appetite is a symptom common to most cancer users, which during treatment increases the risk of malnutrition. If this is not contradicted, it can lead to a decrease in body weight and muscle mass.

A good diet increases well-being and allows for the continuation of treatments, as well as helping to deal with associated complications such as changes in taste and gastrointestinal disturbances. Furthermore, it helps to restore the body's defences to deal with the treatment.

 

Here are some tips to help mitigate the effects of treatments and thus contribute to an improvement in nutritional status:

  • Eat several simple meals throughout the day, light and not very spicy;
  • Choose a calm and relaxing environment for meals, preferably accompanied;
  • Avoid foods with inflammatory potential, such as foods high in sugar (fizzy drinks, sugary desserts, biscuits, breakfast cereals, pastries) and foods high in saturated fat (deli products, fried foods, pre-cooked foods, snacks );
  • Try to include in your daily diet foods rich in antioxidants such as fruits (especially red fruits and mangoes), vegetables (carrots, green leafy vegetables, pumpkin), spices such as turmeric and ginger, nuts and pulses;
  • Don't forget about high biological value protein sources for maintaining muscle mass, such as fish, meat, eggs, unsweetened natural yoghurt;
  • In case of nausea, choose foods made with little fat, at room temperature, low-sugar liquids, dry ginger biscuits, toast, toast or jellies. Also avoid lying down after a meal;
  • If you notice changes in taste, choose to marinate meat/fish in lemon, orange or natural fruit juice, eat mint/lemon candies between meals, accompany the meals with natural lemonade;
  • In situations of diarrhoea, reinforce the intake of water and natural infusions, choose boiled fruit or ripe banana, avoid dairy products, coffee, black tea, green vegetables, legumes, fried and spiced foods;

 

Cancer patient manager
With you and your family at all times

The diagnosis of an oncological disease results in many anxieties and doubts, some of them to do with day-today living activities.

As an example, these are some questions that our patients usually question:

  • Does my subsystem or health insurance cover the treatment?
  • Are there tax benefits for cancer patients?
  • Who are the professionals who make up the multidisciplinary oncology team?

To answer these questions and promote a comprehensive monitoring of cancer patients and their family/caregivers, we now have a Cancer Patient Manager in each of our Day Care Hospitals.

Main functions of the cancer patient manager 

  • To facilitate the articulation between the various professionals and/or services in scheduling appointments or procedures;
  • Making sure that all consultations and procedures are carried out in good time and according to the scheduled protocol;
  • Monitor and liaise with the Billing Department regarding the different costs inherent to the entire procedure from diagnosis to treatment;
  • Monitor and liaise with external entities - Insurers and Subsystems - regarding the cost of the various procedures from diagnosis to treatment;
  • Manage and assist in all requirements that the patient and their family may have, even outside the HPA;
  • Provide information on tax and/or social benefits.

 

OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM  

Cristina Oliveira

HPA Alvor 

Daniel Vicente 

HPA Gambelas

Marcos Santos

HPA  Madeira