St Edmunds Hospital
St Mary's Square, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 2AA DirectionsPhone
Opening hours
Mon - Sun: 24 hours
Visiting hours for Inpatients are from 9am to 7pm.
Car parking
Parking available
Oncology focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer
Oncology focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, with our Consultant Medical Oncologist specialising in a few different types of cancer, with lung cancer, upper/lower gastrointestinal cancer and mesothelioma being just three.
The latter cancer, mesothelioma – the asbestos-related cancer of the lining of the lung – is seen less often at The St Edmunds Hospital.
St Edmunds Hospital is located on the beautiful St. Mary's Square, just across from the Greene King Brewery in Bury St Edmunds. People visit us from Newmarket, Diss, Sudbury, Thetford, Woolpit and Mildenhall. We also see patients from Hadleigh, Stowmarket, Ely and Haverhill. If you’re living in one of these areas and looking for a private hospital near you, our team is ready and waiting to help you.
Predominantly affecting tradespeople (builders and carpenters, for example) who have experienced asbestos exposure in schools or hospitals, cases of mesothelioma, while rarer than some forms of cancer, still ‘trickle through’ the clinic, says our Oncologist.
Other cancers and conditions seen in clinic include:
At The St Edmunds, your medical care is very much tailored to your situation and the characteristics of your cancer. You will be asked about any other medical investigations you’ve undergone, as well as what medication you are taking, and any allergies you have.
Our Consultant may want to know about your family’s medical history, if relevant. Your social circumstance is also important; you will be asked if you smoke, drink, live on your own, have family around you, are working, and how you handle your daily activities/living.
If appropriate, you may need a clinical examination, before going on to discussing with our Consultant what you understand so far about your condition – i.e., what you have previously discussed with your GP. Our Consultant will then move forward with a recommended plan of action, in terms of treatment.
This might include chemotherapy, or any systemic anti-cancer treatments, molecular targeted therapy being another. This is usually in the form of a tablet, but it can sometimes be intravenous.
With some cancers, there are main accelerators or ‘drivers’, which drive the cancer to make it grow.
We now have drugs that can block the main accelerators or ‘put the brakes on them’, says our Consultant – and they are systemic, targeted therapies. One reason why we’re getting better results with cancer treatment is because we are using smarter treatments. For example, one in four breast cancer patients can have the molecular drug.
Immunotherapy or radiotherapy may also be offered – if you are fit enough to have either. Immunotherapy involves activating or suppressing the body’s immune system to help your body fight the cancer.
Radiotherapy, meanwhile, uses radiotherapy to kill cancer cells. It can cure cancer completely or halt its progress.
The St Edmunds’ oncology clinic offers a holistic, tailored approach to help meet your needs, in terms of which treatment(s) is recommended.
With the NHS, sadly, not all cancer drugs our Consultants wish to use are funded, which is why some patients may choose to go private, to get access to things that are not NICE-recommended.
There are lots of things you can have on the NHS, but having a private approach means there are more options available to you. If you are a self-paying patient, you can find out exactly what you will pay for treatment before you commit to anything.
Infection control at The St Edmunds is great, too, with our consultant currently using disposable, single-use endoscopes.
At a glance, here are some reasons why you might choose The St Edmunds for your consultation:
Most private patients go through the NHS route for cancer diagnosis; a few may have had treatment privately, but most have investigations on the NHS and use their medical insurance to get access to specific medication.
Occasionally, the hospital receives referrals from outside of the catchment area, but most come through West Suffolk – the NHS hospital.
That said, our Consultant Medical Oncologist sees patients from Sudbury or south Suffolk, Newmarket, Stowmarket, Ipswich, and King’s Lynn.
Occasionally, for second opinions, people find the oncology clinic at St Edmunds online and will travel further – including as far away as Lincolnshire.
You can get in touch with our team by calling 01284 844636. You can also use our handy online booking system to make your appointment.