A 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 you through all phases of cancer treatment.

Treatment
The treatment of cancer is as unique as each individual. Your treatment options will be based upon the type of cancer, the stage of your cancer and other individual factors, such as age, health status, and personal preference. Your physician will work closely with you to determine your best course of treatment.

Patients can receive three major types of cancer treatment at WMHS: surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

Surgery
In 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 Therapy Radiation 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, including computerized three-dimensional treatment planning using CT images. 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. Brachytherapy, a process where "seeds" are implanted to treat tumors directly, also is available.

Our highly trained team includes two board-certified radiation oncologists, a medical physicist, oncology-certified nurses, oncology-certified social worker, dietitian, and radiation therapists. They coordinate with your physician to plan and deliver the best possible outcomes. They also work closely with you and your family so you understand all aspects of your radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy 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 your 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 you and your family in understanding all aspects of your care.

In 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 you can stay close to home and family. We will work closely with your specialist to ensure the continuity of your care.

We're Here to Help
A diagnosis of cancer affects all aspects of your life and often can be overwhelming for you and your family. The entire team at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center is dedicated to providing support for you and your family. Our Radiation and Oncology Clinics, located at 902 Seton Drive, provide a warm, relaxed atmosphere to help minimize any anxiety that you may feel. A family member or friend is always welcome to accompany you during your 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 you and your family can learn more about your treatment and related issues.

Working the American Cancer Society, the WMHS Regional Cancer Center offers the following support services for patients:

• Look Good, Feel Better Program - assists women the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment
• I Can Cope - an educational program for patients and their families
• Road to Recovery - uses volunteer drivers to transport patients to treatment within the local area

Also available to all area cancer patients and their families is Hand-in-Hand Connection, a monthly support group.

Every staff member at the WMHS Regional Cancer Center is dedicated to going the distance-so you don't have to. Our registration desks are staffed with friendly, knowledgeable secretaries who will assist you with making appointments and handling the necessary paperwork.

Quality Care
The WMHS Regional Cancer Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center, the highest designation available for a community-based hospital. This accreditation is your 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.

WMHS SERVICES

Cancer education and the early detection of cancer are our best weapons in the fight against cancer. At the Western Maryland Health System, we offer these and the other resources our community needs to win the war against cancer:

• Educational Programs
• Free and Low-Cost Screening Programs
• Diagnostic Testing
• Laboratory
• Radiology
• Mammography
• Stereotactic Biopsy
• CT
• MRI
• PET/CT
• Staging and Treatment Planning
• Surgical Services
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation Therapy
• Clinical Trials
• Support Services
• Hand-in-Hand Support Group
• Reach to Recovery
• Road to Recovery
• Inpatient Oncology Unit
• Lymphedema Treatment
• Home Care and Home Hospice Care

For more information about the WMHS Regional Cancer Center and its services, please call us at 301-723-5300.