The Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program
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Cancer Handbook: My Personal Journey Cancer Handbook: My Personal Journey Cancer Handbook: My Personal Journey About the Virtua Health Cancer Care Program 2 Cancer Handbook: My Personal Journey You want the best We sincerely hope that The Cancer possible care Handbook will be a valuable tool for you as you make your Personal Journey. We A diagnosis of cancer can be a frightening welcome any thoughts you would like to experience for any individual and their loved share with us about this manual. ones. You face many decisions during this challenging time. You have unanswered This guide cannot answer every question or questions and concerns and want the best prepare you for every situation. possible care. We understand your needs and are here to help you. Please feel free to call your team – your doctors, nurse navigator, social worker and This book has been designed to inform you other team members if you have any and help you keep all of your cancer care questions. information organized. Each person’s journey is a very personal experience, and we believe that the information provided in this guide will help you with the questions and decisions in the days ahead. This book has been developed to help educate you, decrease your anxiety and assist you as you deal with the physical and emotional aspects of cancer. The goal of this manual is to provide general information about what to expect and how to care for yourself. Your healthcare providers will be sharing many things with you and may have specific instructions regarding your care. The pages of this book are designed to supplement that information and provide information and answers about most of what you will encounter through this journey. There is a great deal of information contained in this book, and we don’t recommend reading it all at once. The table of contents will help you find and choose the information you need. 3 Cancer Handbook: My Personal Journey About the Penn Medicine Virtua Health Cancer Program • The Cancer Care Oncology Nurse Navigator Program matches a patient to a nurse navigator who ensures that www.virtua.org/services/cancer-treatment patients obtain all necessary appointments in an expedited manner. The Penn Medicine Virtua Health Cancer The navigator also helps guide the Program combines sophisticated technology patients to support services and other and broad-based expertise with personalized available resources through the Penn care as well as access to the latest cancer Medicine Virtua Health Cancer treatments, clinical trials, support services Program. and education programs. Closely integrated teams of medical, surgical, radiation, www.virtua.org/services/cancer- pathology, pharmaceutical, nursing and treatment/oncology-nurse-navigation related cancer specialists combine their expertise to offer patients a care plan that • An Oncology Licensed Clinical Social reflects the most current approaches to Worker provides comprehensive treatment. Dietitians, social workers, counseling services to patients and their physical, occupational and speech therapists, family members. Individual, family, and and home-care professionals support the group counseling services are available. treatment team. The team’s active involvement in clinical research, pursuit of • Surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation continuing education and direct patient care oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, keeps Virtua at the forefront of cancer oncology nurses and social workers treatment. specializing in cancer care attend cancer conferences. These interdisciplinary • A closely integrated team of oncology meetings are forums to discuss treatment professionals offers each patient an options and planning for newly individual, state-of-the art treatment diagnosed patients. plan. • Comprehensive oncology services are available to treat breast, prostate, lung, colon, rectal, liver, stomach, bone and other types of cancer. • Radiation oncology delivers advanced treatments in a comfortable setting. • State-of-the-art chemotherapy medications and techniques are available including innovative methods such as chemoembolization. 4 Cancer Handbook: My Personal Journey • The Cancer Genetics Program at Virtua • Nutritional counseling provides Health helps patients with a personal customized support, meal and/or family history of cancer learn recommendations and information about more about risk factors associated with food and drug interactions. hereditary cancer. Patients learn up-to- date information about their risk factors • Community outreach and home-based as well as screening and prevention programs such as home health care are options to reduce their risk. Genetic provided. testing is offered for eligible patients. The staff includes licensed and board- • Pastoral care, by clergy of various faiths, certified genetic counselors, medical is available upon request for spiritual oncologists, and social workers trained counseling, guidance and prayer. in cancer prevention. • Patient education provides special • Renowned physicians provide pathology programs and materials to enlighten and services and sophisticated techniques for to reinforce patient/clinician discussions. tissue and cell examination. • Exercise programs are in place to help • Radiology services provide diagnostic improve both emotional and physical examinations and therapeutic procedures health. Several exercise program using magnetic resonance imaging options are available to fit individual (MRI), interventional and nuclear preferences. radiology, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET) and mammography. • Clinical trials sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and pharmaceutical companies are available. • Cancer conferences consisting of distinct multidisciplinary groups of clinicians, discuss new or unusual cases. • Inpatient oncology care is provided by a team of oncology professionals who provide high-quality care in a comfortable setting. • Physical and occupational therapies are used to manage some of the side effects of cancer. 5 Cancer Handbook: My Personal Journey Is the Penn Medicine Virtua Health Cancer Where a patient chooses to go for treatment Program accredited? can impact the care they receive and ultimately the results they achieve. Our Yes, the Penn Medicine Virtua Health Cancer physicians, nurses, navigators, counselors Program meets state and national accreditation and social workers from across the standards that are designed to ensure high- disciplines meet regularly to develop and quality care for oncology patients. The Penn review a plan of care for our patients. Medicine Virtua Health Cancer Program is The Penn Medicine Virtua Health Cancer accredited by the Commission on Cancer of Program provides patients every significant the American College of Surgeons, and has advantage in their battle against cancer: been recognized with their Outstanding • Board-certified physicians Achievement Award for providing • Treatment by multidisciplinary team of comprehensive care in a community setting. experts The Penn Medicine Virtua Health Cancer • Continued support during and after Program is a member of the Association of Community Cancer Centers. Our Radiology treatment and Radiation Oncology Departments are • Information about ongoing clinical trials fully accredited by the American College of and new treatments Radiology and the Food and Drug • Nurse navigators to guide them through Administration. Virtua Health is also treatment and follow-up care accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and has been recognized with the New Jersey Governor's Award for Quality. All of our Penn Medicine Virtua Health Cancer Program physicians are board certified in their specialties, and many of them have completed specialty fellowship training in surgical, medical and radiation oncology. They have been selected by Virtua Health for their clinical expertise in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and clinical research. Many of our inpatient and ambulatory registered nurses are oncology certified. A mark of advanced training in the specialty of cancer care. We support many national cancer advocacy organizations and their local affiliates. A number of our physicians, nurses and staff have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to cancer care in our community. 6 Cancer Handbook: My Personal Journey Cancer Genetics Program at Virtua Health Cancer genetic evaluation through the Virtua Health Cancer Genetics Program is www.virtua.org/services/cancer- usually a two-step process. The first visit treatment/genetic-counseling-and- consists of a family history and medical history evaluation and possibly a blood test. testing-cancer The second visit includes a discussion of your test results and their meaning for you The Virtua Health Cancer Genetics Program and your family with a genetic counselor, is a unique and comprehensive program and possibly a physician. Personalized designed to assist in determining the risk for recommendations of cancer screenings, developing cancer. Licensed and board- surgical options and available research for certified genetic counselors provide risk the patient and their family members are counseling designed to meet the unique also made at this time. needs of every patient. During your Assessment Risk factors for breast, colon, and other associated cancers as well as the benefits and limitations of available screening methods will be reviewed. Participants will learn the cancer patterns