Cancer Care Center
A Patient Guide to the Cancer Care Center
A diagnosis of cancer is a frightening experience for a patient
and family alike. It is a time of concern and confusion beginning
with the decision of where to go for treatment.
Effective cancer care is a team effort involving the patient,
his/her physician, diagnosticians, surgeons, radiation oncologist,
medical oncologist, rehabilitation therapists psychologists
and financial counselors. The cancer can be most effectively
treated at a facility offering the expertise of all of these
specialists...an institution like Battle Creek Health System's
CANCER CARE CENTER.
A Continuing Commitment
Our commitment to patient care extends to an active involvement
in national cancer care research, too. Working with the National
Cancer Institute, the CANCER CARE CENTER has been a major
research contributor for nearly a decade. We're affiliated
with major research centers including Southwest Oncology Group
(largest in America), National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and
Bowel Project, Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program (1 of
50 sponsored by the National Cancer Institute) and the M.D.
Anderson Hospital of the University of Texas. With more than
80 cancer research studies currently in process, the long-term
advantage to area cancer patients is clear. As advances in
cancer treatment are developed, we are among the first to
learn about them. And our patients are among the first to
benefit.Our work is fighting cancer and our concern is for
people. We're proud of our reputation for being a CANCER CARE
CENTER large enough to offer first-class cancer treatment
and small enough to deeply care for each cancer patient and
the people closest to them.
What You Need To Know About Cancer
Cancer is a cellular disease affecting millions of people
every year. And it's greatly feared for good reason: anyone
can get it.There is promising news about cancer treatment,
though. Today, more than half of all cancer cases are being
cured when the cancer is detected early and when the person
having cancer has access to a cancer care center offering
a broad range of effective cancer fighting treatments.
What Cancer Is
When your body is working properly, it regularly produces
new cells to replace old or damaged ones. Magically, it knows
which cells need replacing and produces only as many as are
needed. When cancer strikes, the process changes and the body
begins producing too many new cells. These new cancer cells
compete with normal cells for food and space inside the body.
The result is the creation of too much tissue which makes
a lump or mass called a tumor. Tumors can be benign (meaning
production of new cancer cells has stopped) or malignant (meaning
cancer cells are continuing to grow and spread throughout
the body).
We are learning more about how these abnormal cellular explosions
happen. For example, when people are regularly exposed to
cancer-causing agents like viral infections, too much sun,
asbestos, chemicals in the air, diet and vitamin deficiencies
and tobacco smoke, their risk of getting cancer increases.
Early Detection Is Everything
Discovering cancer early in its development is critical and
here's why: when cancer is unchecked, it spreads (metastasizes)
rapidly throughout the body. At the beginning, though, cancer
cells tend to remain in the organ where they originated. So
when discovered before they begin to spread, cancer cells
are much easier to control. That's why knowing the seven early
warning signs of cancer and regular checkups with your doctor
are the important keys to remaining healthy.
 Today,
in the more fortunate cities like ours, there are centers
for cancer care with highly qualified cancer care specialists
skilled in the early detection of cancer and treating it successfully.
Procedures they use to check for cancer include mammography,
Pap smears, a variety of oscopies, ultrasound, x-ray, CT and
MRI scans. When cancer is suspected, a biopsy is performed.
The biopsy, usually an outpatient surgical procedure, is where
a small sample of tissue is removed for microscopic examination.
Today, the most effective cancer treatments are surgery,
chemotherapy, radiation therapy and post-treatment supportive
therapies. And the patient's prospects are improved when treatment
can be provided by a cancer care facility equipped to provide
them all.
Seven Red Flags - The Early Warning Signs of Cancer
- Persistent hoarseness, cough or difficulty swallowing
- Noticeable changes in warts, moles or birthmarks
- Loss of appetite or continual indigestion
- Change in bowel or bladder habits
- Unusual bleeding or discharges
- A sore that does not heal
- Any lump or thickening
Surgery
When a cancer is discovered, our Cancer Care Center team
of specialists, together with the patient's doctor, evaluate
the case and determine the most effective treatment plan.
For some types and stages of cancer, surgery is the primary
treatment.
The Cancer Care Center surgical team's objective is removal
of the tumor to eliminate or reduce the amount of cancerous
tissue in the body.
The patient is admitted to the Cancer Care Center and, in
a friendly and caring environment, supported by expert surgeons,
anesthesiologists and surgical nurses, the surgery is performed.
Each patient's length of stay is determined by the type of
surgery required. For some cancer surgeries, patients are
admitted to the Center on an in-patient basis meaning that
their visit will last longer than a day. Other patients may
be hospitalized for a single day and others may have their
surgery - a biopsy, for example - performed on an out-patient
basis. With all Cancer Care Center surgeries, patients are
surrounded by a top quality medical staff totally committed
to each patient's successful recovery.
Medical Oncology
In many cancer patients, chemotherapy will be selected as
the primary treatment. This procedure involves oral or intravenous
administration of drugs intended to kill cancer cells and
halt the course of the disease.
Chemotherapy has been effective in increasing the lifetime
of many patients. Sometimes several drugs are administered
at the same time to increase the effectiveness of this therapy.
Many times, chemotherapy is used with other cancer therapies
in a patient's treatment plan.
When chemotherapy is indicated, the patient's first visit
to the Cancer Care Center's Medical Oncology Department is
for consultation. After reviewing patient records and test
results, our Medical Oncologist meets with each cancer patient
and his/her family. The chemotherapy process is reviewed and
possible side effects are discussed. This is also the time
when additional tests, if necessary, are ordered.
When a patient's cancer treatment plan is finalized, he/she
is scheduled for treatment. Here in a comfortable and friendly
environment, accompanied by an expert medical team of dedicated
professionals, the patient's treatment begins.
A Cancer Care Center patient is never alone. Each month,
more than 500 cancer patients receive chemotherapeutic treatment,
usually in our community room where they visit with other
patients and share common experiences.
Radiation Oncology
Often the cancer care team decides that a cancer patient's
therapy will include radiation treatment.Radiation is a process
where cancer is treated by using special tools which focus
invisible energy at diseased tissue. In high intensities,
this radiation energy penetrates deeply into tissue to painlessly
destroy cancer cells.
Our team includes radiation oncologists, a certified medical
physicist, technologists, radiation therapy nurses and support
personnel like dieticians and social workers - people who
care for and about our patients.
A patient's first visit to the Cancer Care Center's Radiation
Oncology Department is for consultation. Records and test
results are reviewed and a radiation oncologist discusses
the case with the patient and family answering questions they
may have. The radiation oncologist also describes the treatment
process and reviews possible side effects. This is the time
additional tests will be ordered if necessary.
Prior to actual radiation treatment, cancer patients are
placed in a simulator that emulates the actual treatment set
up. This simulator is designed to help our team make preparations
for effective treatment. Our Ximatron CF Simulator provides
vital patient information which is then entered into a treatment
planning computer for final treatment calculations.
After the most effective course of radiation therapy planning
has been determined, the patient returns to our Radiation
Oncology Center. Here, in a comfortable environment, with
specially trained professionals who care, the patient receives
his/her radiation treatments. Most patients will have external
beam radiation therapy. Here, the patient lies quietly on
a treatment table while the radiation beam is aimed by a technologist
from several different points to attack the tumor from multiple
angles. Each treatment is painless and only lasts a few minutes.
While receiving their course of radiation treatment, most
patients are able to maintain their regular daily activities.
Patient Support Services
Although the success of cancer treatment is usually measured
by the number of surviving patients, at Battle Creek Health
System, we believe that quality of life for the survivors
is equally important. For most cancer patients, rehabilitation
is a continuing process after therapy, and we recognize that
support services are an essential part of the recovery process.
That's why we surround our Cancer Care Center patients and
their families with team members who are skilled and caring
professionals. They understand cancer treatment stresses and
know how to help patients deal with them.In addition to emotional
counseling and pastoral services, our team provides support
groups like LIFEGUARD, a forum for cancer patients and significant
others to exchange shared experiences and views, and the LIFEGUARD
program is free.
Our team also includes nutritionists who are available to
evaluate a patient's dietary requirements and develop appropriate
meal plans, financial counselors to help patients and families
through the complexities of medical care costs, and Cancer
Care Center staff who are able to provide productive interfaces
between the patient and ancillary community cancer care resources.
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