Ljubljana Institute of Oncology celebrating 80 years

The past eight decades saw the institute develop into the national oncology centre, which provides comprehensive care, while extensive research and education have made it one of the leading oncology centres in Europe, director general Zlata Štiblar Kisić told the press.

She explained the institute admitted 14,000 new cancer patients last year, conducting almost 110,000 examinations, 4,500 operations and 89,500 radiotherapies.

The institute organises the Dora and Zora preventive care programmes, which have helped reduce cancer incidence by half within ten years.

Medical director Viljem Kovač said that the share of patients cured successfully has risen to 60%, while major headway also continues to be made in the institute's research activities.

Maja Čemažar, assistant medial director for research and education, explained that the institute has almost 200 researchers, while she also highlighted its participation in European reference networks that allow it to send patients to leading European experts for consultation.

Also highlighted was the institute's breast surgery cooperation with the UKC Ljubljana clinic, which allows "Slovenian women to get the best reconstruction" and get it as part of the removal operation. 300 surgeries of this type are performed annually.

Štiblar Kisić said that 14,000 people in Slovenia get diagnosed with cancer each year. More than 100,000 have had some form of cancer at some point in their lives. 60% of the patients are older than 65.

The Oncology Institute will mark its 80th anniversary with a ceremony later today, to be addressed by President Borut Pahor as the keynote speaker.