Receiving a cancer diagnosis is scary, and at Great River Health we do
everything we can to provide the most supportive, innovative, and individualized
care possible to every patient.
Our team of highly experienced oncologists, nurses, and support staff see
beyond the diagnosis and treat everyone as a whole person: physically,
mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Our mission is to improve the
lives of our patients living with cancer, whatever that means to them.
We understand cancer affects everyone differently and we will be by your
side from the beginning to provide patients and their families an informed,
comfortable, and comprehensive treatment experience.
Cancer Treatments We Offer
There are many cancer treatment types, which is why our Hematology &
Oncology department provides individualized care for every patient. Some
patients need surgery, while others need chemotherapy or radiation, and
others have all three. Our providers work together to create the best
treatment plans.
The standard cancer treatments include:
Surgery: The first-line treatment for many forms of cancer is the surgical removal
of a tumor before the cancer cells have a chance to spread. Usually, surgery
is used with other treatment types to destroy any lingering cancer cells
and destroy them completely. Biopsies are performed after surgery to stage
and type your cancer to provide further diagnostic insight to your oncology team.
Chemotherapy: or “chemo,” is the use of medication to kill rapidly growing
cancer cells, slow their growth, and relieve cancer symptoms. There are
many types of chemotherapy drugs, and sometimes several drugs are combined.
A pharmacist mixes chemotherapy IV drugs in our cancer center. The process
of receiving chemotherapy through an IV is called infusion. In some cases,
oral chemotherapy drugs are prescribed.
Radiation therapy: This treatment helps kill cancer cells confined to one localized area,
which is then blasted with radiation to kill the malignancies. This therapy
may be enough to treat your cancer by itself, but usually, radiation therapy
is combined with chemo and/or surgery.
Other Treatment Types
Blood-product transfusions: Chemotherapy, some types of cancer, and blood disorders may affect blood
counts. Some patients need transfusions of whole blood or blood components
such as red cells or platelets.
Bone marrow biopsies: A bone marrow sample can confirm anemia, leukemia, and lymphoma.
Immunotherapy: This treatment bolsters a weakened immune system caused by cancer or
other diseases.
Patients may be referred by a family or internal medicine physician, surgeon,
or other medical specialist. Some self-referrals are accepted. All medical
reports, diagnostic imaging reports, and laboratory results must be received
before the first appointment.
Day Hospital
Our Day Hospital provides infusion/chemotherapy services and other infusion
treatments by a caring, compassionate staff. We work in cooperation with
cancer specialists to help keep your treatments close to home.
Our specially trained staff at the Day Hospitals provide care for patients
through all stages of their cancer treatment and to patients who are receiving
other forms of infusion treatment. Services are available Monday through
Friday. Oncology Social Work services are available to assist you and
or your family with some of the non-medical issues that occur when you
have a diagnosis of cancer.
For information about the cost of cancer treatment, please call Patient
Financial Services-Patient Billing at
319-768-3625, option 2.
