Bringing You Up-to-Date on Cancer Treatment

The medical community’s understanding of cancer and its many treatments has improved by leaps and bounds over the past two decades. One thing that hasn’t changed in the field of oncology (the study of cancer) is the fact that the most common and successful treatments for cancer are surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy – but their applications have become more refined, and additions such as hormone therapy are sometimes added to the mix in a person’s cancer treatment.

Let’s talk about a few specific types of cancer treatment, how they are often applied today, and where you can go in the Wooster area for world-class healthcare for the whole family.

TODAY’S CANCER SURGERY

Surgery is still performed to remove some or all of a cancerous tumor, but the methodologies have largely changed. Surgeons often employ lasers or tiny instruments when removing or resecting a tumor, and these changes have led to:

• Less cutting of tissue
• Less bleeding
• Less pain during recovery
• Smaller scars
• Shorter recovery time

Radiation and/or chemotherapy often follows to further shrink down or control the size of the tumor. This treatment usually creates minimal disturbance to the healthy tissues.

Innovative Prone Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy can be very useful in treating cancer, but traditional radiation that is targeting breast cancer may also negatively affect the nearby heart and lungs. A different approach, which is prone radiation therapy, works much better for many patients who have breast cancer.

The way it works is that the patient is asked to lie down on her stomach, in a prone position, which allows the breast tissue to be pulled down by the natural force of gravity. This greatly reduces radiation exposure to other organs.

Chemotherapy Methods

Chemotherapy is also often provided to help prevent the cancer from coming back. Chemo may be the only treatment used to treat the cancer, or it may be an additional, supplemental (adjuvant) treatment. It is likely to be the sole treatment in the case of blood cancer or lymphatic cancer (leukemia or lymphoma, respectively).

A traditional method of receiving chemo is the oral (pill) form. Today, chemotherapy is often administered via infusion. This involves the delivery of the chemotherapy right into your bloodstream through an IV line. During chemotherapy infusion, patients may also receive nutrition, hydration, and anti-nausea drugs during the treatment.

QUALITY CANCER CARE IN WOOSTER, OHIO

Here at Wooster Community Hospital (WCH), we have a superior Cancer Care program. Each patient’s program is customized according to the patient’s needs.

WCH offers chemotherapy infusion services – and this treatment comes with nutrition education, a complimentary cookbook, and a class with a registered dietitian. We are also the only location in Wayne County to offer prone radiation therapy.

We are proud to be affiliated with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC) – James. To date, the OSUCCC has five interactive cancer programs and manages hundreds of active or pending clinical trials for cancer.

If you would like to find out more about our cancer treatments, including chemotherapy infusion and/or prone radiation treatment, schedule a consultation with one of our skilled physicians. Call Wooster Community Hospital today at (330) 263-8100 or fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to being your healthcare partner!