Oncology | Bermuda Hospitals Board

The Chemotherapy Clinic

When you attend for chemotherapy, our clinic has eight comfortable reclining chairs with views across Paget. Each chair has its own television with access to TV, radio and internet. You can also bring your own reading materials, knit, sew, do crafts, or use your tablet or laptop computer.

Patients experience different feelings, but getting ready for chemotherapy can be scary. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions. Please also review our guide Introduction to Chemotherapy.

What to expect for your first visit

Before you arrive, the oncology nurse will contact you with your appointment time and advise you how long your visit will be. You can ask any questions you have about your first visit at this time.

For your appointment, it’s a good idea to bring someone with you. A companion can be supportive, can help you remember what was said, and can drive you home if you feel unwell afterwards.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy will be recommended for about two thirds of our patients. Bermuda residents can now receive their radiation therapy on the island rather than leaving their friends and family to travel overseas for extended periods of treatment.

Our partners at Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, led by Dr Christopher Fosker, can now provide the same level of care and treatment as an overseas facility in their new radiation therapy clinic on Point Finger Road.

Click here to learn more about radiation therapy in Bermuda.

Bermuda National Tumour Registry

The Bermuda National Tumour Registry is Bermuda’s first population-based, government-supported cancer registration body. The registry began data collection in 1979. It underwent restructuring in 2004 and was re-launched in September 2008.

According to the Bermuda Health Council, cancer is the second leading cause of death in Bermuda, accounting for 31.2% of all deaths in 2014. Reducing the burden of this disease involves many programmes, including a comprehensive database of all cancer cases island wide – a tumour registry. The registry requires input from primary care physicians, specialists on island and overseas, pathology departments and healthcare planners in order to obtain the most current and concise data.

The data collected by the tumour registry includes: patient information (demographics, social habits and family history), tumour diagnosis specifics, treatment and hospital information, and follow-up particulars. The data can be analysed to compare the frequency and types of cancer between years, find patterns that identify possible risk factors, and predict future incidence.

Data collected by the registry can be used for population-based research, public health programme planning, evaluation of current practices and patient care improvement. The information helps health professionals to better understand the disease and to use resources effectively for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

The objectives of the Bermuda National Tumour Registry are to:

• reduce the incidence of cancer in the community
• help identify potential environmental risk factors, genetic links and high-risk behaviours which may increase the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis
• assist in determining the efficacy of screening practices and ensuring that lifetime follow-up is conducted with every patient
• provide accurate island-wide data for the government, health service providers, medical researchers and the general community.

The data gathered by the tumour registry serves the following purposes within Bermuda and overseas:

• ongoing surveillance of cancer incidence and trends
• provision of information for public and professional education
• epidemiologic and academic research

Annual Reports

• Bermuda National Tumour Registry 2016 Annual Report
• Bermuda National Tumour Registry 2015 Annual Report