WMHS REGIONAL CANCER CENTERA diagnosis of cancer can turn your world upside down. The WMHS Regional Cancer Center provides a combination of personalized care, advanced technology, and support services to help patients through all phases of cancer treatment. We're Here to HelpA diagnosis of cancer affects all aspects of your life and often can be overwhelming for patients and their families. The entire team at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center is dedicated to providing support for patients and their families. Our Radiation and Chemotherapy/Infusion Clinics, located at 902 Seton Drive, provide a warm, relaxed atmosphere to help minimize any anxiety that patients may feel. A family member or friend is always welcome to accompany patients during their treatment. A social worker specially trained to assist cancer patients and their families is available to provide practical assistance, support and counseling. We also have vast educational resources so patients and families can learn more about treatment and related issues.
Every staff member at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center is dedicated to going the distance--so patients don't have to. Our registration desks are staffed with friendly, knowledgeable secretaries who assist patients with making appointments and handling the necessary paperwork. Navigating Your WayWhen patients are diagnosed with cancer, a patient navigator is only a telephone call away. Tenna Taylor is an American Cancer Society patient navigator who works with WMHS to offer patients and their families a guiding hand as they weave their way through cancer diagnosis and treatment. Tenna is available to provide assistance from the moment the word “cancer” enters the conversation. A valuable resource, Tenna will work one-on-one with cancer patients and their families. She is part of the team that patients meet when they first walk through the doors of the WMHS Regional Cancer Center. Tenna becomes a familiar face, often greeting them at their next treatment and asking if there is anything they need. Tenna helps patients and their families access the American Cancer Society's free programs and services, including skin and hair care assistance to improve a patient's self-image through "Look Good…Feel Better" and transportation assistance to treatment through the "Road to Recovery" program and travel reimbursements for mileage. Tenna also provides patients with information on WMHS offerings, such as a monthly support group and the services of a social worker specially trained support and counseling to cancer patients and their families. "Being a navigator allows me to assist patients in the region who need help after being diagnosed with cancer," said Tenna. "Hopefully, my presence will make the family's journey with this cruel disease somewhat tolerable.” To talk with Tenna, please call her at 301-723-6380. Tenna’s services are available to all cancer patients, regardless of where they receive their diagnosis or treatment. TreatmentThe treatment of cancer is as unique as each individual is. Treatment options are based upon the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer and other individual factors, such as age, health status, and personal preference. The patient’s physician works closely with the patient to determine the best course of treatment. Patients can receive three major types of cancer treatment at WMHS: surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. SurgeryIn some cases, surgery is all that is needed to remove a cancer. Today's surgical advances make it possible to spare much of the tissue or organs around the cancer site. In addition to surgery, other radiation and/or chemotherapy may be recommended, especially when less radical surgical is used. Radiation TherapyRadiation therapy attacks reproducing cancer cells by using a special kind of energy carried by high-energy waves or a stream of particles to alter the cell structure of the cancer. Radiation therapy is an effective way to treat many kinds of cancer in almost any part of the body. More than half of all cancers are treated with radiation. In some cases, radiation therapy is often considered the best course of treatment. Radiation therapy can be used instead of surgery; before and/or after surgery, and in conjunction with chemotherapy.
The Radiation Oncology Clinic at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center offers state-of-the-art radiation treatment. The Varian 21EX linear accelerator is one of the safest and most powerful systems available and blocks the radiation field from reaching the normal tissue during treatment.
One of those treatments is intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), an advanced, highly precise technique that targets tumors while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue from unnecessary exposure.
“Conventional radiation treatments deliver radiation in straight lines,” explains radiation oncologist Scott Watkins, M.D. “However, tumors are irregularly shaped. IMRT uses computer-generated images so that we can direct a radiation dose with pinpoint accuracy to the shape and depth of the tumor and reduce the adverse effects of the dose to the adjacent healthy tissue.”
As a result, most IMRT patients typically experience fewer treatment-related side effects of high-dose radiation and are more likely to maintain their normal lifestyles during treatment.
The on-site PET/CT services at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center are an essential part of the treatment planning. These 3-dimensional computerized imaging scans help Dr. Watkins chart the exact location of the tumor within the patient. This information is then used by virtual reality simulation software to plot a radiation treatment to target the exact shape of the tumor. IMRT technology is so advanced that it can be programmed to angle the beams to actually wrap the radiation around normal issues to reach the tumor.
The highly precise treatment plan is transferred electronically to a specially equipped linear accelerator that delivers the radiation treatments. The linear accelerator can be rotated to send the radiation beams from the most advantageous angle to give the tumor a high dose while preserving the healthy tissue.
Patients typically receive a regimen of IMRT treatments over four to eight weeks. The total dose of radiation and the number of treatments given depend on the size, location and type of cancer; the patient's general health; and other medical therapy the patient is receiving.
IMRT is used to treat patients with various types of cancer, including tumors in the brain, breast, head and neck, liver, lung, pancreas, prostate, and uterus. It is extremely beneficial for treating tumors that are in close proximity to other vital organs; many of these tumors were previously considered untreatable due to the tremendous accuracy required.
However, normal internal organ action (such as digestion or breathing) can cause the position of the tumor to shift, complicating the daily targeting of the radiation beams. Now also available at WMHS is image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT).
“IGRT enables us to take digital images immediately before each treatment to confirm the exact location to target and treat the disease accurately,” explains Dr. Watkins.
Currently in use for prostate cancer at WMHS is the Acculoc image guidance system that uses implanted gold markers to locate and align the tumor just before each radiation treatment.”
“IGRT complements the other advanced treatment already in use at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center,” concludes Dr. Watkins. “IMRT helps us to contour radiation around tumors and away from healthy tissue. IGRT uses real-time imaging to precisely target that therapeutic radiation.”
We also offer brachytherapy, a process where the radioactive source is implanted directly in the tumor, in either low-dose rate or high-dose rate form.
Our highly trained team includes a board-certified radiation oncologist, a medical physicist, oncology-certified nurses, oncology-certified social worker, dietitian, and radiation therapists. They coordinate with the patient’s physician to plan and deliver the best possible outcomes. They also work closely with patients and their families so they understand all aspects of radiation therapy. Chemotherapy/ImmunotherapyChemotherapy uses drugs or medication to treat cancer. Cancer cells grow uncontrollably and may break away from their original site and spread to other parts of the body. Anticancer drugs disrupt the cells' ability to grow and multiply. Anticancer drugs have proven very effective in cancer treatment and can be used alone or in combination with radiation and/or surgery. Board-certified medical oncologists develop, coordinate, and monitor chemotherapy treatments and direct our oncology-certified nursing staff in administering the anticancer drugs at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center. A certified oncology pharmacist works in the WMHS the Regional Cancer Center to review and prepare all medications. Also on the team are an oncology-certified social worker and clinical dietitian to assist patients and their families in understanding all aspects of care. Inpatient Oncology UnitThere may be times when a hospital admission is necessary as part of a patient’s treatment plan, and WMHS has a dedicated inpatient oncology unit at Braddock Hospital. The Inpatient Medical Oncology Unit on 4 North provides care for patients receiving chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, or biological response modifiers, and those undergoing radiation therapies who require an adjunct therapy. Patients admitted for cancer symptom management or those with autoimmune deficiencies requiring cytotoxic agents or monoclonal antibodies also are assigned to this unit. In addition, there is a designated outpatient treatment room that is used to provide outpatient chemotherapy and non-emergency blood transfusions in the evenings and on weekends. Additional Specialty CareIn some instances, due to the extent and nature of a patient's cancer, area physicians may refer a patient to a specialist at a university-based hospital or medical center for consultation or initial treatment. Any on-going radiation and/or chemotherapy that may be needed can be done at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center so that patients can stay close to home and family. We will work closely with patients’ specialist to ensure the continuity of care. Quality Care
This accreditation is assurance that we can effectively screen, detect and treat cancer according to nationally recognized standards of care. We are committed to decreasing the effects of cancer, increasing survival rates, and enhancing the quality of life. We offer a full range of services that are designed to meet the needs of all the patients we serve. All our cancer services are provided at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center to ensure that you have direct access to our entire team of healthcare professionals. We work closely with the patient's primary care physician and believe that coordinated communication is the key to gaining patient trust and establishing a relationship to promote healing. CLINICAL TRIALSThe WMHS Regional Cancer Center is a member of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) under the affiliation of the University of Pittsburgh.The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) was established in 1955 as one of the first cooperative groups launched to perform multi-center cancer clinical trials and is one of the largest clinical cancer research organizations in the United States, conducting clinical trials in all types of adult cancers. Participants in clinical trials can play a more active role in their own health care, gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available, and help others by contributing to medical research. Advances in cancer treatment have occurred largely because of the knowledge gained in large clinical trials that test new and better ways to treat cancer patients. Some clinical trials test new treatments, investigate new ways of preventing cancer, screen patients for earlier diagnosis, and monitor the quality of life and/or psychological impact of cancer while others detect cancer in its earliest stages.Membership in ECOG provides not only more opportunities for our patients at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center to participate in clinical trials, but allows them to stay in Cumberland while they are participating.
WMHS SERVICESAt the Western Maryland Health System, we offer these and the other resources our community needs to win the war against cancer: Screening and Early Detection Programs
Diagnostic Imaging
Surgical Procedures
Radiation Oncology Services
Medical Oncology Services
Rehabilitation Services
Research Activities
Patient Education and TeachingSupport Services
Support Group
Support Services with American Cancer Society
For more information about the WMHS Regional Cancer Center and its services, please call us at 301-723-5536. |
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