Many patients require treatment with powerful medications for their cancer. Clinical research has demonstrated the value of these medications in the treatment of many cancers.
The oncology specialists at the Baystate Regional Cancer Program are experienced in using the latest drug therapies to treat your specific type of cancer. Drug therapies may be used alone or in combination with other types of treatments.
Drug therapy may include:
- Chemotherapy
- Biological therapy, using cytokines and monoclonal antibodies
- Hormone therapy
Through the Baystate Regional Cancer Program, you will benefit from the very best radiation technology and expertise, provided by a team of board certified radiation oncologists in the patient-friendly D’Amour Center for Cancer Care.
The Baystate Regional Cancer Program provides integrated, expert care in radiation therapy including:
- External beam radiation, including Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT), Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Stereotactic Radiotherapy, and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
- Internal radiation (brachytherapy)
- Radioactive seed localization, for patients undergoing a lumpectomy for breast cancer
Depending on your individual condition, your doctor may recommend radiation treatment alone to target localized cancer, or in combination with surgery or drug therapies.
Many times, the best treatment option for cancer is surgery. The surgical oncologists at the Baystate Regional Cancer Program perform the most advanced procedures available to treat cancer, including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery.
Minimally invasive procedures enable you to resume normal activities sooner than traditional open surgery and provide you with:
- Faster healing
- Less bleeding and need for blood transfusions
- Less pain and trauma
- Less risk of infection
- Shorter hospital stays
- Smaller scars
Our specialists are highly skilled at evaluating suspicious findings during a physical exam and making a diagnosis, usually by performing a biopsy.
They may, if appropriate, recommend removal of the tumor surgically, and often work with other cancer specialists, such as medical and radiation oncologists, to combine treatment methods.