Basic philosophy

We respect "the feelings of the sick" as well as "the feelings of the family" and strive to provide the best cancer care that is warm and caring.

Basic policy

i. Respect for human rights of patients
We guarantee and respect the patient's right to know and their own free will.

ii. Enhancement and strengthening of medical care
As the core facility for cancer medical care in Kyushu, we aim to improve diagnoses and treatment, in order to achieve advanced pioneering cancer medical care.

iii. Promotion of clinical research
We proactively promote research that connects the basics and clinical aspects, thereby contributing to the development and progress of cancer medicine.

iv. Enhancement of education and research
We enhance the education and training functions for cancer, improve the quality of healthcare professionals, and develop human resources which will be responsible for future cancer care.

v. Collection and dissemination of information
We collect cancer information not only in Japan but also from around the world, providing medical information to healthcare professionals and citizens using multimedia.

Patient rights and responsibilities

Patients have the right to receive quality medical care, while having their dignity respected. The Kyushu Cancer Center, whose mission is to protect the lives and health of patients in the community and strive to provide the best cancer care that is warm and caring by stipulating the following "patient rights and responsibilities" based on the basic philosophy: We respect “the feelings of the sick” as well as “the feelings of the family.”
We will comply with this and support patients' active participation in medical care.

1. Every patient has the right to be respected as an individual and receive the best medical care that is impartial and safe.
Every patient has the right to receive safe and efficient medical care, based on appropriate medical standards, without discrimination in terms of social status, type of illness, nationality, religion, etc. Our staff will respect this right and aim to provide safe and advanced medical care and improve the quality of medical care, while always being fair to the patient.

2. Patients are entitled to receive sufficient and satisfactory explanations and information with respects to their illness, medical care, and nature of treatment.
Providing medical explanations and information should not be from the one-sided viewpoint of the provider. We strive to maintain good communication from the patient's perspective, help patients understand, and gain their consent, so that the healthcare provider is able to receive information from the patient, such as their subjective symptoms and medical history, or appropriately answer the patient's questions, in easy to understand words and methods.

3. When receiving medical explanations, patients have the right to ask questions until they are able to attain a full understanding and confirm such, in order to receive satisfactory treatment.
Should there be any unknowns, patients can question their health care provider as frequently as they wish in order to understand explanations and information provided with regard to treatment etc., and receive satisfactory medical treatment, including their own choice of treatment method.

4. Patients have the right to make their own choices, including treatment methods.
It is necessary for healthcare providers with appropriate medical-level knowledge and experience to provide support, while taking into consideration the benefit to patients, rather than simply providing medical information, in order to ensure that patients have the right to choose their own treatment methods. Our staff will respect the will of our patients.
We also respect the opinions of doctors at other facilities when seeking their opinions (second opinions).

5. Patients have the right to have their personal information and privacy protected during their medical care.
The privacy of patients must be carefully taken into consideration as we are a hospital where private information on patients concerning their illnesses is handled and private lives are managed in a special environment. We will strictly protect the personal information and privacy of patients at our facility.

6. Patients have the right to request disclosure of their own medical records.
The right to request the disclosure of medical records includes the right to view and copy medical records, as well as to receive explanations, as it is often difficult for patients to understand the content of medical records simply by looking at them.
We have established our own system based on this concept and strive to disclose medical records.

7. Patients have the right to decide whether or not to receive medical care, upon receiving sufficient information regarding the purpose and risks thereof, along with the right to refuse medical care at any time without suffering any disadvantage.
Patients have the right to be informed regarding the purpose, risks, etc. and decide whether or not to seek medical care, including clinical trials and clinical studies (research to obtain approval for new drugs and treatments). Furthermore, these medical treatments are not performed without the patient's consent, and even if such consent is provided, they can withdraw their consent without suffering any disadvantage.

8. It is our responsibility to ensure that all patients receive impartial and appropriate medical care, without disturbing other patients or hospital staff.
The staff at our hospital provides a variety of medical treatments to a large number of patients. As a result, patients may be obliged to endure limitations that are not part of their normal social lives. We would like to ask you to fully understand this situation and appreciate your cooperation in our providing appropriate medical care.

9. In order to provide quality medical care, it is our responsibility to provide healthcare providers, including physicians, with information about patients’ own health, as accurately as possible.
In order for the health care provider to make accurate decisions regarding the patient's condition and treatment, please provide the health care provider the most accurate information regarding the patient's own health, including their family history, medical history, and allergies.