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Cancer Services Closer to Home Bayhealth's Cancer Services Bayhealth's medical and radiation oncologists strive to provide you with the most comprehensive cancer services available. We have the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines (NCCN) available online for reference, making this recognized standard in oncology practice and information available for all clinicians and support staff. This means that Bayhealth offers you the most advanced medical technologies including state-of-the-art equipment to improve your comfort and effectively treat your cancer. To aid in cancer treatment, Bayhealth has a Cancer Registry, an oncology data collection center for all cases of cancer diagnosed and/or treated at Bayhealth. We collect and maintain this information in strict confidentiality for use by medical professionals for treatment planning and evaluation, outcome measurement and strategic planning. We store this information in an advanced software database linked to our hospital patient information system. The software eases case finding and automates the follow-up process so we can follow our cancer patients for life. We forward all data we collect to the State of Delaware's central registry, which merges data from other Delaware hospitals and completes a quality check. During the course of your care, our oncology care coordinators will manage your outpatient care from your diagnosis through treatment, and will serve as resources for you after treatment has concluded. They will provide assistance obtaining resources such as pharmaceutical, transportation, financial, insurance, home health, hospice and appointments with specialists as needed. By combining advanced medical technologies with a personal touch and customized care, we assure accuracy in cancer treatment. To treat your cancer, your doctor may prescribe radiation, chemotherapy, surgery or a combination of treatments. The type and stage of your cancer determine what treatment you will receive, and your doctor will explain your test results and treatment options to you, and we adapt NCCN guidelines for certain medications to best meet your needs. This brochure describes what you can expect while receiving radiation and/or chemotherapy to treat your cancer, and includes information on services available to you.
Advances in Treatment For certain types of cancer, Bayhealth offers eligible patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials, which are conducted to find improved drugs and treatments for cancer. Patients enrolled in clinical trials receive a new treatment, the best standard treatment, or a combination of both. If the treatment is effective, new drugs may become standard treatments, which could benefit patients nationwide. Bayhealth provides PET CT (Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography) scanning to pinpoint disease location and plan treatment. This improved test has a much higher tumor detection rate than a PET or CT alone. For mammography screenings, Bayhealth uses an additional detection tool: the R2 ImageChecker, a computer-aided detection system. Used with film-based mammography, the ImageChecker studies the image and informs the radiologist about suspicious features that could be cancer. After the mammogram, some women may need a biopsy to determine if a growth is cancerous. Previously, biopsy for cancer required removing an entire breast lump for testing. Our patients may receive a less invasive procedure called a stereotactic breast biopsy, a mammographically guided biopsy better able to find the suspicious lesion than traditional biopsy. Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy is a localized cancer treatment that uses energy waves called radiation to target tumors or specific areas of your body. Radiation is used to kill cancer cells and/or stop them from spreading. Before you begin treatment, you will meet with our nurses and physician to review your health information and your treatment options. On your next visit, your physician, a radiation oncologist, will simulate the radiation treatment to plan your therapy. Your physician will create a plan that will affect as little normal tissue as possible while treating the entire affected area. Once your plan is established, your treatments will begin. You will receive treatments five days a week for three to eight weeks, depending on the type of cancer you have. Your entire visit will usually take less than half an hour. We will schedule your treatments as conveniently as possible for you, so you can fit them into your everyday schedule. Radiation treatments are given externally, internally or in a combination of both. Most people receive external treatment, in which a machine directs radiation at the cancer. With internal radiation, also called brachytherapy, small radiation implants are placed into the tumor. Bayhealth's Cancer Center in Dover was the first location in Delaware to offer an advanced radiation therapy called Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) for certain cancers. IMRT is the most sophisticated radiation technique for cancer treatment, delivering higher radiation doses to complex target areas. Bayhealth's physicians use computer-generated 3-D planning to reduce doses to nearby normal tissues, safely and effectively delivering radiation treatment. You may experience temporary side effects from radiation therapy, but they will only affect the area being treated. Common side effects include fatigue and skin changes. While you're receiving treatments, make sure you get proper rest, eat healthy foods and limit your activities to keep up your strength. Be sure to tell your nurses or physician about any side effects you experience, so they can help you manage and minimize your side effects. After you've completed your treatments, we will schedule a series of follow-up visits to check on your progress. Our goal is to help you recover to your optimal level of health and resume your everyday lifestyle. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells, stop them from spreading and/or relieve pain or other symptoms caused by cancer. Chemotherapy can also be used to shrink a tumor before other treatments, such as surgery or radiation therapy. Before you begin your treatment, you will meet with our nurses and a physician to review your health information and tour the chemotherapy area. Your physician will create a treatment plan with chemotherapy drugs specifically designed for the type of cancer you have, its stage and location. Your treatment schedule also depends on these factors, and on how your body reacts to the chemotherapy drugs. You may receive treatments daily, weekly or monthly, typically in cycles with built-in rest periods so you can regain your strength. We will schedule your treatments as conveniently as possible for you. While some chemotherapy treatments are given in pill form, most are given intravenously. Some treatments take only a few minutes, while others may take several hours. A family member or loved one is welcome to sit with you while you receive treatment. When healthy cells are harmed during treatment, side effects can result. Side effects are drug-specific, so not everyone experiences the same ones. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, hair loss and fatigue. While you're receiving treatments, make sure you get proper rest, eat healthy foods and limit your activities to keep up your strength. Our specially trained oncology nurses will help you manage your symptoms, so be sure to tell them or your physician about any side effects you experience. After you've completed your treatments, we will schedule a series of follow-up visits to check on your progress. Our goal is to help you recover to your optimal level of health and resume your everyday lifestyle.
Breast Care Services
The Breast Care Coordinator also provides education, support and guidance for women at this particularly stressful part of their lives. To reach our Breast Care Coordinator, please telephone 302-744-6773. Bayhealth also recognizes the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Philadelphia Affiliate for funding a significant part of our Breast Care Service. For more than 20 years, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has been leading the fight against breast cancer. Through events such as the Komen Race for the CureŽ, it has been able to provide organizations such as Bayhealth with support for community-based programs. Working through a network of affiliates, the Komen Foundation is fighting to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease by funding innovative research and supporting education, screening and treatment projects. For more information, please go to the national website www.komen.org and www.phillyraceforthecure.org for information on the work and activities of the Philadelphia Affiliate. Nutrition Services During treatment, it is very important that you eat balanced, nutritious meals. If you eat well during treatment, you will be better able to deal with any side effects you may experience. Every patient receiving cancer care services at Bayhealth is screened for nutritional risk. Patients who have known risks will be referred to a dietitian to help with nutritional needs. Each patient is re-screened periodically by the Cancer Center staff, and any patients who develop nutritional issues are referred to the dietitian. If at any time during treatment, you have questions about your nutritional needs, please request to see the dietitian. If you are unable to travel to the Cancer Center, the dietitian will conduct a phone interview with you. In addition, Bayhealth offers group sessions with a registered dietitian who can provide you and your family with information on how to maintain your nutritional health during your treatment. The education sessions are offered at different times in several locations, so you and your family may choose the session most convenient for you. Talk with your doctor, nurse or therapist about scheduling your nutrition appointment. Cancer Screenings Throughout the year, Bayhealth offers several free and/or low-cost screenings for breast cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. Patients who may have cancer are referred to physicians for follow-up. Bayhealth has a Colorectal Cancer Screening Coordinator who is dedicated to promoting colorectal cancer screening. The coordinator is part of a statewide network of screening advocates and care coordinators. Cancer Support The nurses, physicians and support staff at Bayhealth's Cancer Centers are a great resource for information and support for all of your needs. Bayhealth also offers support groups and health education programs to help cancer patients and their families cope with the disease. For more information on Bayhealth's support groups, please call Bayhealth's Education Department toll-free at 1-877-453-7107. Bayhealth also works with community groups such as the Wellness Community and the American Cancer Society to provide additional resources, programs and support to our patients. Bayhealth has contracts with local hospice organizations to provide inpatient hospice care to patients who elect hospice care while they are hospitalized, or who are already receiving hospice care at home or a nursing home, but come to the hospital for an uncontrolled symptom, such as pain. The patient's care is overseen by the hospice organization. A hospice nurse comes to the hospital daily to oversee the patient's care and to make recommendations in keeping with hospice philosophy. Bayhealth's Cancer Centers are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, or to make appointments call (302) 744-7222 or (toll-free) 1-900-990-4BAY. Or email us at Cancer_Services@bayhealth.org.
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