CHU de Québec — Université Laval | Cancer Care

CHU de Québec — Université Laval is a public university hospital network whose present structure developed through the consolidation of Quebec City's teaching hospitals. Its identity reflects both its regional healthcare responsibilities and its academic relationship with Université Laval. It is not a stand-alone private cancer clinic.

The network comprises five hospitals and provides services across many medical and surgical specialties. Oncology is delivered within this broader system, allowing cancer treatment to draw on diagnostic imaging, pathology, anaesthesia and other specialist services. The hospital handling a consultation may differ from the site providing surgery or radiotherapy.

Its cancer-care profile includes radiotherapy and complex surgical oncology, supported by university-affiliated oncology research. It also has a referral role for eastern Quebec. These characteristics describe its functions, not a comparative ranking or a guarantee of outcomes. International patients should establish which department and hospital would manage their particular diagnosis.

The listed areas of focus are breast, lung, colorectal, prostate and gynaecological cancers. Breast and colorectal care may involve combinations of surgery, radiotherapy and systemic treatment, depending on the diagnosis. Lung cancer management requires distinction between tumour subtypes and may involve molecular testing to assess suitability for targeted medicines or immunotherapy. Listing these specialties does not establish that every procedure or medicine is available for every patient.

Prostate cancer decisions depend on risk classification, disease extent, previous treatment and patient preferences. Gynaecological cancers include distinct diseases affecting organs such as the ovaries, uterus and cervix, each requiring a tailored approach. Patients should ask whether their exact tumour subtype, including any rare variant or recurrence, can be reviewed by the appropriate specialist team.

Surgery is part of the network's oncology offering, including complex operations for selected cancers. Suitability depends on factors such as resectability, expected benefit, general health and recovery needs. Travelling patients should clarify where surgery would take place and how postoperative care, complications and fitness to fly would be managed.

Radiation therapy is another established treatment category. It may be used alone, alongside medicines, or before or after surgery. The technique and number of visits depend on the disease and treatment objective. Patients should obtain an individual schedule rather than assume a short stay, and confirm whether previous radiotherapy affects the proposed plan.

Systemic options include chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. These categories are not interchangeable: tumour biology, biomarkers, prior treatment and clinical condition determine which may be appropriate. Canadian regulatory authorisation, local availability and funding arrangements also matter. International patients should request the proposed medicine names, monitoring requirements and a plan for continuing treatment or managing side effects after returning home.

The supplied profile indicates around 120 active oncology clinical trials. This is an approximate, indicative figure; study status changes, and 'active' can include trials that are no longer recruiting. The network's university-affiliated oncology research links clinical investigation with cancer care, but patients need current, study-specific information rather than a portfolio total.

International patients can ask the relevant oncology team whether a recruiting study matches their diagnosis, biomarkers and treatment history. Consideration requires protocol-based screening and may also depend on residency rules, coverage, repeated attendance and follow-up feasibility. Trial participation is not guaranteed, and an experimental treatment is not necessarily better than standard care. Ask which research procedures are covered and which routine care, travel or accommodation expenses remain the patient's responsibility.

Before travelling, seek confirmation that the relevant service can assess a non-resident patient and establish the referral route. Submit the requested records through an approved secure channel. Ask whether an initial document review is possible, whether further testing is needed locally and whether the proposed consultation is an assessment only or the start of a treatment pathway.

Build the travel plan around a written clinical and administrative outline. Confirm the hospital site, likely attendance pattern, payment arrangements, interpretation options and the circumstances that might extend the stay. Arrange an oncology contact at home for follow-up, and obtain advice on travel fitness and complication cover. Do not delay time-sensitive local care while awaiting an overseas decision without discussing the risks with the treating team.

Contact details below come from the hospital's own published international patient information.

Location: Quebec City, Canada

Email: No public international e-mail address is published; use the website enquiry form.

Phone: +1 418 525 4444

Website: https://www.chudequebec.ca

Languages supported: French, English

Remote second opinion: Not advertised

Always confirm current contact details on the hospital's own website before sending medical records, and never send documents to an address you have not verified.