Leading-Edge Cancer Care
In 2008, more than 96,000 new cases of cancer are expected in Texas. One of the best strategies for reducing cancer deaths and improving survival is to ensure evidence-based treatment services are available and accessible, according to the National Cancer Institute’s 2005 Annual Report to the Nation.
Texas cancer patients are fortunate in this regard. With more than 270 physicians and 90 total sites of service, Texas Oncology, a pioneer in community-based cancer care, is the largest independent oncology practice nationwide and provides care to more Texans with cancer than any other cancer care provider. In 2007, Texas Oncology treated more than 28,000 of the 96,000 patients diagnosed with cancer in Texas. The mission of Texas Oncology is to provide quality cancer care close to home, to improve cancer treatment in previously underserved communities.
Texas Oncology patients are treated with some of today’s most advanced, effective technologies in state-of-the-art facilities. Texas Oncology is delivering high quality cancer care and helping local residents achieve victories in their fights against cancer. At comprehensive cancer centers, Texas Oncology patients access much of their treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, X-rays, PET, CT, other diagnostic imaging, lab, and pharmacy, in a convenient setting from a top-notch cancer care team.
Patients have access to the top technologies and treatments and a broad array of treatment choices. Highly sophisticated computers are used in conjunction with a multi-slice CT scanner and positron emission technology (PET) to more definitively visualize and precisely locate tumors. PET is an advanced imaging technology that reveals the bio-chemical function of a tumor, allowing earlier detection and diagnosis of many cancers than with traditional X-rays or CT scans.
This allows physicians to create highly personalized treatment plans delivered through conventional or intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). IMRT improves tumor control by delivering the maximum dose of radiation with pinpoint accuracy while limiting exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue. High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy is one of the newest advances allowing physicians to deliver precise radiation treatment directly to the cancer target, and can often be done on an outpatient basis.
Texas Oncology has been instrumental in bringing the best new treatment advances to the marketplace. Patients have the ability to take part in some of the most promising clinical trials in the nation without leaving the comfort of their home communities.
Texas Oncology has played an integral role in gaining Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for 24 of the latest 30 cancer therapies.
Cancer Care Comes Home
Providing community services mean patients have access to quality cancer care available in the comfort of their own communities. Patients obtain much of their treatment services — from chemotherapy and X-rays to lab work and prescriptions — in a convenient setting, even within one building at the 38 comprehensive cancer care centers. The consolidation of services creates collaborative cancer care teams, allowing the patient’s cancer care team to confer on diagnoses and treatment plans. Plus, patients no longer have to disrupt their lifestyle and spend lengthy periods away from home to obtain treatment. Instead, patients can remain in the comfort of their own homes with the support of family and friends, helping to eliminate some of indirect costs of cancer treatment, such as transportation, lodging and meals associated with long-distance cancer treatment. Studies have shown that patients find local cancer care preferable, as patients and their families can avoid the economic and emotional burdens that accompany traveling for cancer treatment.
For more information call 888-864-ICAN (4226).