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Cancer is the second leading
cause of death in the nation, according to the National Vital Statistics
Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The need for
advanced cancer care and research has never been greater. For this reason,
St. John’s Mercy designed and
built the David C. Pratt
Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art outpatient diagnostic and treatment facility
located on the campus of St. John's Mercy Medical Center in west St. Louis
County.
The David C. Pratt Cancer
Center offers some of the most advanced diagnostic and treatment modalities
available in cancer care. New technologies allow us to detect, stage and
treat cancers more effectively and accurately than previously possible. In
addition to the comprehensive resources that our Cancer Center brings to
the fight against cancer, St. John’s Mercy
also is committed to clinical quality in cancer care. Select from the links
below to learn more about our cancer quality initiatives:
Innovations in Patient
Care
Our innovative approach to cancer care, combined with advanced diagnostic
and treatment capabilities, results in enhanced clinical quality for the patients
we serve. Patient outcomes are improved by the initiatives below, which enable
us to ensure safe and high quality care for cancer patients.
- Targeted Therapies – Cancer
treatment is evolving, and several innovative therapies in use at the David
C. Pratt Cancer Center are yielding positive results for patients. Targeted
therapies are new therapies that zero in on cancer tumors and attack cancer
cells while leaving most normal cells in the body unharmed. These treatments,
which may include intravenous therapies, oral drugs or certain radiation
delivery methods, tend to produce fewer and less severe side effects than
conventional cancer therapies. For appropriate patients, these therapies
have increased disease-free survival and overall survival rates.
- TomoTherapy – In
September 2006, the David C. Pratt Cancer Center opened a 2,500-square-foot
addition to support an advanced cancer treatment
system called the TomoTherapy Hi-Art System®. The system combines
precise 3-D imaging from computerized tomography (CT scanning) with highly
targeted radiation beams that move around the patient in a spiral motion.
Precise targeting of the tumor, combined with the spiral motion, can result
in fewer radiation complications and better patient outcomes.
- Minimally Invasive Surgery – St. John’s Mercy
Medical Center is the first hospital in St. Louis to offer patients the significant
benefits of minimally invasive surgery with the da Vinci® Surgical System.
The da Vinci® system is a state-of-the-art, minimally invasive surgical
(MIS) system that enables surgeons to operate with smaller incisions, greater
precision and with a better view of the body than with traditional surgery.
The system, which uses two robotic arms and a 3-D camera to operate inside
the body, was designed to reduce trauma and recovery times, which are more
significant with invasive surgeries. For cancer patients, the da Vinci® system
is currently being used to perform minimally invasive prostate surgery and
hysterectomies. In addition, the St. John's Mercy Breast Center uses the
en-bloc® biopsy system, the newest technology available and the
first of its kind in St. Louis. The en-bloc® biopsy system allows
us to retrieve one intact piece of breast tissue through a small incision.
This system produces specimens that offer additional information to the pathologist
for diagnosis and is less invasive than traditional surgical biopsy.
- Breast Health
Navigator Program – Patients
with abnormal mammograms or breast ultrasounds have access to a new resource
at St. John's Mercy called the breast health navigator program. These patients
are assigned a “nurse navigator” to educate and support them
throughout their breast care. This nurse helps the patient to navigate the
next steps in their care, such as diagnostic and treatment options, referrals
to surgeons and oncology specialists, insurance issues, time frames for test
results, education and emotional support.
Clinical Research
Patients at the David C. Pratt Cancer Center have access to innovations in
cancer therapy through our participation in pharmaceutical company-sponsored
trials and National Cancer Institute-sponsored trials.
- CCOP Trials – National Cancer Institute-sponsored
clinical trials, which bring the latest in cancer prevention and treatment
research studies to the community, are available to patients at St. John's
Mercy through our membership in the St. Louis-Cape Girardeau Community
Clinical Oncology Research Program (CCOP), a consortium of six institutions
in Missouri and Illinois. For more information, visit the Cancer
Center Web site.
- Pharmaceutical Trials – The
David C. Pratt Cancer Center participates in many pharmaceutical company-sponsored
trials designed to investigate innovative drugs for a variety of cancer
types. For more information, visit the Cancer
Center Web site.
- University of
Chicago Phase II Consortium – The David C. Pratt Cancer
Center is the only institution in the St. Louis area participating in
the University
of Chicago Phase II Consortium. The consortium is designed to
offer investigational novel agents to patients from states in the Midwest.
It is anchored at academic institutions in Chicago and Milwaukee, with
participation of community-based oncologists to optimize patient access
and cross-referral throughout the region.
Our Cancer Care Team
As
a teaching and research facility, St. John’s Mercy
draws health care professionals from across the nation who specialize in
cancer care. We are proud to have a staff of physicians with in-depth expertise
in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Our team of oncologists,
radiologists, surgeons, researchers, oncology nurses, technologists and other
medical professionals provide advanced treatment options and technologies
through the David C.
Pratt Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art healing environment.
Our caring staff members work together to make important diagnostic and treatment
decisions, while caring for the whole person. Our patients benefit from a team
approach to cancer care, which brings together our combined experience and
success in treating all types of cancer.
Education and Support
The David C. Pratt Cancer Center offers a variety of educational and support
services at no cost to patients. These include:
- The John
F. Krey III Cancer Information Center offers free educational
materials, counseling with oncology-certified nurses, free screenings and
other resources
- Cancer risk assessment and genetics testing
- Nutritional counseling
- Supportive therapies, such as lymphedema therapy and massage
- Spiritual support and pastoral services
- Social work services
- Monthly support groups, wellness classes and special programs for cancer
patients.
For more information about
these services, visit the Cancer Center
home page.
If you or someone you know is dealing with a diagnosis of cancer, the David
C. Pratt Cancer Center offers help and hope. Simply call our Cancer Answer
Line at 314-251-6400 or 1-877-569-6400.
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