Treatment
Cancer expertise, comprehensive treatment
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, Tennova Cancer Centers offers comprehensive, expert care. We provide a range of cancer treatment options that are tailored to meet each patient’s individual needs. Doctors plan treatment by consulting with surgeons, and chemotherapy and radiation specialists to develop the most effective approach. In most cases, several treatment options are combined to provide the most comprehensive treatment. Tennova Cancer Centers provide all levels of care, including inpatient, outpatient, hospice and at-home services.
Part of Tennova Cancer Centers’ full-spectrum care includes special services and support to address the unique needs of cancer patients and their families. Our multidisciplinary cancer care team includes primary care doctors, oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, nurses, pain management specialists, dieticians and other professionals who work together to provide individualized care. Treatment options include:
- Chemotherapy – Also known as medical oncology or hematology, chemotherapy uses chemicals to destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells. Surgeons often use chemotherapy in conjunction with surgery to destroy surrounding tissue after a tumor is removed.
- Radiation therapy – Tennova Cancer Centers’ radiologists utilize sophisticated equipment that can destroy cancer cells with precisely targeted radiation, while minimizing damage to healthy tissues.
- Hormone therapy – Hormones can kill cancer cells, or slow or stop their growth. Doctors can prescribe medications that affect the activity or production of hormones, or may surgically remove a gland that produces hormones.
- Surgery – Tennova's cancer care teams carefully evaluate each patient’s needs to determine whether surgery offers the best chance for success. When surgery presents the best option, doctors utilize minimally invasive techniques whenever possible. Physicians Regional Medical Center and Turkey Creek Medical Center are equipped with the da Vinci® Si™ Surgical System, which gives surgeons greater precision and can offer patients less scarring and a faster recovery.
Our sophisticated treatment options, cancer expertise and myriad of support services provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses your physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Sophisticated radiation therapy techniques
Tennova Cancer Centers offer state-of-the-art equipment and techniques that allow radiologists to precisely target radiation to destroy cancer cells and minimize damage to healthy, surrounding tissue. Doctors utilize a range of sophisticated techniques to fit the needs of each patient, including:
- Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) – Utilizes computer technology to create a three-dimensional image of the tumor so radiation beams can be focused precisely on the treatment area.
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) – IMRT further refines 3D-CRT capability by allowing the radiologist to customize the dose of radiation to the size and shape of the tumor, and restrict exposure to healthy tissue. This method is used to treat tumors that are close to vital organs or structures, such as the spinal cord, brain or liver.
- Brachytherapy – Small catheters (thin, flexible tubes) are used to administer high doses of radioactive sources directly into cancerous tissue. Brachytherapy can deliver a higher total dose of radiation over a shorter period of time than external-beam techniques. This method is often used to treat prostate, breast, cervical and lung cancer. Tennova cancer specialists can utilize specific brachytherapy techniques, including MammoSite® to treat breast cancer, and prostate seed implant (PSI) to treat prostate cancer.
Therapy to promote post-radiation healing
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been shown to improve healing of tissue and bones affected by radiation, and this unique service is available at Physicians Regional Medical Center. In this pain-free, passive procedure, a patient lies in a special pressurized chamber of pure oxygen and breathes normally. Your doctor can determine whether this therapy is right for you.
