The Institute of Oncology Ljubljana is a comprehensive national cancer center, in charge of undertaking appropriate actions against cancer and of maintaining the balance between the development medical and health-related professions in the endeavors of competing against cancer on the state level.

Though the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana is not the only institution in Slovenia that is coping with cancer problems, it has kept its capacity of a comprehensive national cancer center.

The term “national” implies the responsibility of the Institute for designing a coherent development of different sectors in oncology (epidemiology, medical care, research and education).

The term “comprehensive” implies that the Institute of Oncology is a central State institution that ensures a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment, i.e. cancer diagnostics and treatment. At present, the comprehensiveness of this approach is reflected only in limited specialized diagnostic techniques and treatment modalities that are currently performed at the Institute and will be extended after the new building construction project will have been completed and new equipment purchased.

The areas of work at the Institute of Oncology are distributed among five sectors:

• medical care,
• research,
• education,
• administration,
• epidemiology and cancer registries.

Organization-wise, the work in the sector of medical care at the level of diagnostics and treatment is performed in mutual dependence with different divisions (e.g. surgical division) and with multidisciplinary advisory teams, specialized in cancer sites or types. The teams join together oncologists involved in the diagnostics and treatment of a particular cancer site or type (e.g. advisory team for breast tumors, advisory team for malignant lymphomas, etc.). These teams may be extended by inviting the experts from other institution, if the treatment of a specific cancer type so requires.

More than 20 multidisciplinary teams are currently providing consultancy services and are also in charge of setting up the treatment strategies and guidelines to be applied at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana as well as in general Slovenian health-care setting. A typical trait of oncology, for which it differs from other medical specialties, is its capacity of linking together various medical branches.