Newsletter No. 106

2 No. 106 19th April 1997 CUHK Newsletter BA Students Learn the Knack of Managing at Service Camp U ndergraduate managers-to-be from the University were able to integrate fun and sunshine into learning at a family day camp on 23rd February. Organized by the Heng On Group Work Unit of the Social Welfare Department and the Social Services Group of the University's Faculty of Business Administration, the camp took place at the Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre. Participants designed programmes for clients receiving comprehensive social security assistance. They had to work according to their own objectives, with minimum supervision. The process involved making decisions based on the interests of the various parties involved, and provided an excellent taste of management for the business students. This was the first service programme of the Social Services Group. Its aims were to cultivate the readiness to serve in students, to encourage teamwork, and to sharpen sensitivity to community needs. New Publication by HKIAPS 54th Occasional Paper Education Vouchers and Education Subsidy in Hong Kong Written by Liu Pak-wai, the paper differentiates between public subsidy of education and public provision of education, arguing that public subsidy through a voucher scheme is more efficient than public provision. The production efficiency, cost efficiency, and allocative efficiency of the education voucher scheme are analysed. The paper concludes by stating that it may now be time for adopting a voucher scheme in Hong Kong. Department Update A C o m p r e h e n s i v e C a n c er T r e a t m e n t a nd R e s e a r ch P r o g r a m me a t t h e D e p a r t m e n t o fClinicalOncology Prof. Philip Johnson What IsClinicalOncology? 'Our programme encompasses all aspects of cancer care, from basic laboratory research through to terminal care of patients with cancer,' explains Prof. Philip Johnson, chairman of the Department of Clinical Oncology since 1992. 'Within the speciality of clinical oncology, there are four major areas in cancer treatment: radiotherapy (treatment by radiation); medical oncology (treatment by drugs); treatment for haematological or blood cancer; and symptomatic or palliative care for terminal cancer patients.' The department has a short history of only 13 years. In older establishments, each of the four specialities is usually too well- established individually to be able to work well in an integrated setting. There can also be a lot of competition between them to look after the different patients and their own prospects. As the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK is ayoung faculty, the Department of Clinical Oncology has been able to start without the rigid guidelines dividing the specialities, and achieve something that is in the interest of clinical oncology as a whole. Prof. Johnson believes that the strength of his department lies in its comprehensive nature, the integration of the specialities, its very cosmopolitan team of experts, and a rapidly expanding basic science group. 'In very few universities in the world could the students be getting specific teaching in oncology. In most countries, they are taught a little bit about oncology in each of the specialities that they have chosen. Here, we have a well-established one-month course in oncology for all undergraduate medical students,' says Prof. Johnson. He also discloses that there is now an internationally- agreed curriculum for undergraduate students that enunciates the contents of the training already available at CUHK. ‘I am pleased to say that our students are being trained in all the areas that are covered in the international curriculum. I don't know if there is any other university that can make a similar claim. It is indeed unique.' The Major Milestones Upon joining the department, Prof. Johnson's first aim was to achieve greater integration of the specialist sub-fields to facilitate research. 'Before I came, there was no specific interest in blood cancer. Following the recruitment of a specialist in this area, however, it has been successfully integrated with the rest of the department. It is rare for any cancer centre to cover all the four aspects of cancer care as we do here.' The department emphasizes the multi- disciplinary nature of cancer treatment and acts as a coordinating centre for other specialities concerned in cancer care. For instance, a patient with liver cancer would be seen by a surgeon, a physician, a radiologist, apathologist, as well a clinical oncologist. He also set out to develop a clinical trials unit for testing new drugs for cancer, which is now up and running. 'We are undertaking major trials for new drugs for local, American and European companies. A one-time support grant from the University has also helped establish a laboratory to support this programme.' Among the more memorable moments in Prof. Johnson's four and a half years of chairmanship has been the opening of the Cancer Centre at the Prince of Wales Hospital in 1994. The centre was initiated by the University as a focal point for its cancer research and clinical practice. It is now possible to give cancer treatment to day cases instead of having necessarily to admit people to the ward in PWH. This is preferred by the patients, is generally much cheaper, and also enables many more patients to receive treatment. 'We now attend to about 40-50 patients every morning, sometimes as many as 90. The annual figure for new patients is about 3,700, and it is increasing steadily,' Prof. Johnson points out. A c t i ve Researchers The department has been very active in the field of research in general. Faculty members have obtained substantial earmarked grants from the RGC, and published about 130-140 chapters and original publications in the last five years in collaboration with different people. Currently, they are working with their Hospital Authority colleagues on a book on oncology in Asia, which should be finished in a year's time. 'While there are very good text books on clinical oncology, these are all written in the West where the practice of oncology can be very different from that in the East. We perceived there was a need for a book on the latter, and have settled down to writing it.' Another similar project involves working with colleagues in other departments of the medical faculty to produce a book on liver cancer, a disease that is particularly prevalent in Hong Kong and South China. In the area of basic research in particular, department staff are concentrating on the cytogenetics, or chromosomal abnormalities, of different tumours, especially liver cancer. They are also actively involved in developing techniques for the very early diagnoses of tumours. In fact, members of the Liver Cancer Study Group at the University have just achieved an important breakthrough in the early detection of primary liver cancer through a new diagnostic blood test. Members of the same group have also helped perfect selective internal radiation therapy to treat patients suffering from an advanced stage of liver cancer. The Road Ahead Have there been any hurdles en route to these achievements? Not really, but Prof. Johnson admits that his major grouse is perhaps the administrative load. ‘I look after the University department, as well as the hospital department, which make a total of about 240 people in addition to the Cancer Centre. The administrative load of tending to the budget and personnel matters inhibits the amount of research I can do.' An aspect where Prof. Johnson would like to see the University achieve another first is the development of acareer structure within the Faculty of Medicine for basic scientists. 'What would be greatly to the advantage of my department and the faculty in general is long-term support for good postdoctoral scientists, who are currently usually only employed on short-term, soft money grants. This is not only a local problem, it is prevalent world wide.' What are the department's aspirations for the future? 'We have had a lot of support from the University in terms of funding, and staff, and I don't think that we could have asked for more. ...What we can further achieve is only limited by our imagination.' Shalini Bahadur