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Kentucky Cancer Program > Cancer Care
Cancer Care
If you or a family member
has been diagnosed with cancer, you can take comfort
in having qualified medical personnel and the latest
technology available to meet your needs. Depending on
the diagnosis, you or your family member are treated
by highly-skilled hematologists, oncologists, radiation
oncologists, pathologists, urologists and surgeons,
all of whom are dedicated to providing quality medical
care. Our professional and caring nursing staff is specially
trained in the care of cancer patients.
Our oncology
support team may assist in reducing the anxiety
and stress you or your family may experience following
a diagnosis of cancer. You may be referred for assessment
by the oncology support team if you have been newly
diagnosed with cancer or if you are hospitalized while
receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy. You may
also be evaluated by the oncology support team if you
need pain or symptom management secondary to your diagnosis
or have received a terminal diagnosis.
Other cancer
care services include:
Mammography
A mammogram,
an X-ray of the breast, is the best tool for identifying
breast cancer in its earliest stages. If you are a woman
over the age of 40, the American Cancer Society recommends
that you have an annual mammogram.
We offer on-site mammography
services at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center
and the Ephraim McDowell Diagnostic Center. We also
have a
mobile mammography unit that travels to corporate
and community sites in 20 counties.
All mammograms performed at Ephraim McDowell Regional
Medical Center, Ephraim McDowell Diagnostic Center and
on the mobile mammography unit are read with the aid
of the R2 Image Checker, a computer-aided detection
system that can detect suspicious lesions that may not
be seen with a typical mammogram screening. The R2 system
is expected to increase the number of breast cancers
detected early, possibly by as much as 20 percent.
This system is also expected to detect up to 70 percent
of cancers that would not be found without the system.
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Radiation
and chemotherapy
Radiation and chemotherapy, used either alone or
in combination with each other, are successful methods
of treatment for many cancers.
If you are scheduled to receive radiation therapy, a
radiation oncologist will use a state-of-the-art linear
accelerator to deliver external beam radiation to your
cancer site. Radiation therapy can also be delivered
by inserting a needle into the cancerous tissues or
by inserting an enclosed tube into a body cavity.
Chemotherapy treatments are provided by the hematologists/oncologists
on the medical staff, either at their offices or while
you are hospitalized. The hematologists/oncologists
have more than 50 different kinds of chemotherapy drugs
available to patients and also participate with clinical
trials, which are investigatory treatment programs,
some of which use state-of-the-art drugs.
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Diagnostic
imaging services
Ephraim McDowell Health maintains current technology
for diagnosing and treating a variety of cancers. These
include a new computerized tomography (CT) scanner and
a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine as well as
stereotactic breast biopsy, which is used for diagnosing
and treating breast cancer.
Click here for more information about our imaging
services.
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Diagnostic
laboratory services
Pathologists are physicians who are highly-skilled in
the use of advanced technology to assist physicians
and surgeons in diagnosing illnesses, including cancer.
Learn
more about our laboratory services.
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Tumor
registry program
In an effort to provide ongoing care for cancer patients,
we have a tumor registry program for monitoring cases
involving cancer patients. Data on each cancer patient
is collected and placed into a central repository at
the Kentucky Cancer Registry, which allows individual
facilities to compare their management of specific types
of cancer to the management of similar patients throughout
the state. The Kentucky Cancer Registry submits the
data to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results
(SEER) program and the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB),
which allows for comparisons of all aspects of your
treatment with those of national standards. This centralized
collection of data also allows federal and state agencies
to better target at-risk populations and initiate screening
and treatment programs in specific areas.
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Support
groups
We realize a diagnosis of cancer is an emotional
experience that brings with it many questions. In an
effort to try to make this experience less stressful,
we offer a monthly support group for breast cancer survivors.
Our Breast Cancer Support Group meets on the third Tuesday
of each month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Farmers
Bank Third Floor Ballroom.
For more information on our support group offerings,
please call (859)239-CKCP (2527).
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Pain
control
Knowing how to manage your pain is key to your recovery.
Our nursing staff is trained to help you manage your
pain and we also can provide literature relating to
pain control to you and family members. Our staff is
also available to make presentations about pain control
and end of life care to church and civic groups.
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Nutrition
counseling
Keeping yourself healthy during treatments for cancer
is of vital importance to your overall health and well-being.
If you need help determining your proper nutritional
needs, please call our registered dietitians at (859)239-1820.
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Spiritual
and emotional counseling
Our oncology clinical coordinator and on-site chaplain
are available to counsel you and family members in spiritual,
emotional and psychosocial matters.
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Home
medical equipment at MedSource
While you are convalescing at home,
MedSource can provide you with the medical equipment
you need in your home. This includes hospital beds and
mastectomy products.
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Behavioral
Health Services
A diagnosis of cancer can be a traumatic experience
for some individuals. If you are having trouble dealing
with your diagnosis, or the diagnosis of a family member,
our Behavioral Health Services can help. Our counselors
are available by appointment at Ephraim McDowell Diagnostic
Center.
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Surgical
Services
You can trust our surgical services department to provide
you with quality care, using modern operating rooms
that are equipped with the latest technology and equipment.
Our surgery personnel are dedicated to giving you personalized
care and attention that provide a pleasant experience
in a comfortable environment.
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Cancer
screenings
Early detection is critical for the successful treatment
of cancer. To help detect cancer in its earliest stages,
the Central Kentucky Cancer Program (CKCP) sponsors
screenings for prostate, skin and colorectal cancer
each year. These screenings are held each March for
colorectal cancer, each May for skin cancer and each
September for prostate cancer. Please call (859)239-CKCP
(2527) for more information.
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Reach
to Recovery
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may
be visited in the hospital by a volunteer from the Reach
to Recovery program. This program is sponsored by the
American Cancer Society and provides information and
support for women diagnosed with breast cancer.
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