Poznań Cancer Centre 1953–2003

In 1952 in Poland an anticancer programme was developed, which as a result led to the establishment of a Cancer Centre in Poznań. The first organisational efforts were supervised by Dr. Czesław Wojnerowicz. In March 1952 it was decided that the Social Security Hospital in Poznań in Garbary Street would be transformed into one intended for oncological medical services. By the end of 1953 three wards (surgery, gynaecology and general) with a total of 100 beds were set up. Dr Stefan Skowroński was appointed the first head of the Centre (1953–1975), followed by Professor Cezary Ramlau (1975–1989), Dr. Alexander Górny (1989–1995) and since 1995 Associate Professor Julian Malicki.In March 1975 as a consequence of the administrative reform in Poland the additional aim of the Centre was to integrate and develop oncological medical services over the whole region comprising the following voyevodships: Poznań, Kalisz, Konin, Leszno and Piła. In the 1980s the oncological hospital was again rebuilt and the number of beds enlarged to 250. In 2000 construction on a new section of the hospital was started to be completed by 2005.Over its whole past history Cancer Centre in Poznań in conjunction with the regional health services, hospitals of the Medical University and other hospitals, has been carrying out teaching at the graduate and postgraduate level as well as doing research in addition to treatment and diagnosis of cancer diseases.At present at the Poznań Cancer Centre with its 7 hospital wards such as Oncological Surgery I and II, General Radiotherapy I and II, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy and Gynaecological Oncology as well as Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, a total of 11.000 patients are treated, 120.000 patients are seen in consulting rooms, 4.000 patients are treated by radiation, 3.500 major surgical operations and 1.600 one-day smaller surgeries are performed annually