Why Choose NorthShore University HealthSystem for Breast Cancer Care?
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you are probably facing a multitude of questions about the care you need and the physicians who will provide it. The Chicago area has such a vast array of cancer-care options that it’s often difficult to know what’s truly important.
What do patients appreciate most about breast cancer care at NorthShore University HealthSystem? Here are a few things that our physicians and nurses are asked about most often:
Our Surgeons
Are you looking for reputation or innovation? Chances are you want both. NorthShore University HealthSystem’s Department of Surgery is led by Mark Talamonti, MD Chairman, a physicians whose reputation extends far beyond the boundaries of our hospitals. Our surgeons introduced the Chicago area to sentinel-node biopsy, now the standard of care at all fine hospitals. Their knowledge of leading-edge techniques has helped our surgery team maintain a breast-conservation rate that is higher than the national average: 76 percent for early-stage cancers.
Evidence-Based Treatments
Therapies are offered by our medical oncologists, who act in concert with radiation oncologists and our research staff. Oncologists specializing in breast cancer have taken part in many pivotal studies that have helped to determine which drug therapies are most appropriate for individuals diagnosed with breast cancer. They also closely observe the work being done by our translational researchers, who are using molecular and cell biological studies to find ways to prevent breast tumors from growing. Our Radiation Medicine specialists were the first in the nation to offer accelerated partial-breast irradiation, which can cut treatment time in half. Many of the options we provide to individuals with breast cancer have emerged from clinical trials led by our own physician-scientists. Because we hold a designation by the National Cancer Institute as a Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP), NorthShore is able to provide patients with access to treatments and therapies that are not available at other institutions.
A Whole Team Dedicated to Your Care
Every week, our multidisciplinary breast team convenes to discuss each patient’s case in detail and to construct a customized treatment plan. This meeting of the minds is focused on the individual breast cancer patient to create the path for the most optimal outcome. At any point during treatment, any of the team members can use our electronic medical record system to check test results and confer with other specialists. The end of the “overstuffed manila folder” method of medical recordkeeping means that patients receive quick, reliable answers to their questions about tests or lab results.
Concern for You and Your Family
When one or more family members develop breast cancer, our genetic counselors will ensure that other family members understand the risks – or lack of -- for themselves. Our Center for Medical Genetics recently unveiled its “ MyGenerations” touch-screen kiosks, which provide consumers with a free, printed family tree and risk assessment by entering family health info rmation on a secure computer. These kiosks are currently located at the main entrance to Glenbrook Hospital and in the lobby of Evanston Kellogg Cancer Care Center.
A Community of Care
Individuals with a diagnosis of cancer appreciate the warmth and consistent professionalism they experience during treatment at our system’s three Kellogg Cancer Care Centers. Every patient’s care plan includes psychosocial support and access to integrative therapies and healing resources.
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