Treatment
At Rush-Copley, the needs of the patient come first. From inpatients who need round-the-clock care to outpatients who need chemotherapy or radiation therapy our experienced physicians and nurses guide you through your treatment and educate you along the way.
Medical Oncology
On-site Chemotherapy
Rush-Copley Cancer Care Center offers private outpatient and inpatient chemotherapy. Physicians and staff provide nearly 12,000 chemotherapy treatments to patients annually. There are six private rooms exclusively for chemotherapy treatments, each with a window and television for the patient's comfort during treatments. We also serve breakfast or lunch at the patient's request. Rush-Copley oncologists also offer chemotherapy patients the opportunity to participate in research protocols using leading-edge therapies.
Infusion Center
At Rush-Copley's Infusion Center, patients are cared for on an outpatient basis with chemotherapy, antibiotics, blood transfusions, intravenous medication, other non-oral medications, or central line care. Our highly trained staff of registered nurses have had extensive experience in the administration of medications, fluids and blood products. What's more, the staff spends a great deal of time with the patients, educating them on side effects, nutrition and other health information.
The Rush-Copley Care Center offers its patients access to some of the latest clinical trials designed to find better ways to fight cancer. As Rush-Copley patients consider options for treatment, they often consider participation in a clinical trial of some type. Clinical trials are research studies designed to find better ways to treat cancer and help cancer patients. Clinical trials test many types of treatment such as new drugs, new approaches to surgery or radiation therapy, new combinations of treatments, or new methods such as gene therapy.
Why Are Clinical Trials Important?
- First, cancer affects us all, whether we have it, care about someone who does, or worry about getting it in the future. Clinical trials contribute to knowledge and progress against cancer. If a new treatment proves effective in a study, it may become a new standard treatment that can help many patients.
- Second, the patients who take part in a trial may be helped personally by the treatment(s) they receive. They get up-to-date care from cancer experts, and they receive either a new treatment being tested or the best available standard treatment for their cancer. Of course, there is no guarantee that a new treatment being tested or a standard treatment will produce good results. New treatments also may have unknown risks. But if a new treatment proves effective or more effective than standard treatment, study patients who receive it may be among the first to benefit.
To learn more about clinical trials and whether your or a loved one should enter a clinical trial, click on the following link to access the ERCI (formerly Emergency Care Research Institute) clinical trial patient reference guide.
Back to Top
Radiation Oncology
On-site External Beam Radiation Therapy
Each year, Rush-Copley physicians and staff offer more than 10,000 radiation treatments. For patient convenience, radiation therapy is offered on-site by caregivers the patient has already come to know. This eliminates the patient's need to drive to multiple sites to complete the treatment plan. The Center's linear accelerator, fitted with a mulit-leaf collimater, is state-of-the-art making it possible to bombard tumors with high-level radiation in three dimensions. We were the first center on the Fox Valley to offer Intensity Modylated Radiation Thrapy (IMRT).
The goal of radiation therapy, and especially IMRT, is to deliver a precisely measured dose of radiation to a defined tumor volume with minimal damage to surrounding normal tissue, resulting in eradication of the tumor, a higher quality of life, and prolongation of survival.
Radioactive Seed Implant Therapy (brachytherapy)
Brachytherapy, also known as seed implants, is the implanting of radioactive sources directly in and around a cancerous tumor. These radioactive "seeds" are actually tiny metallic cylinders that contain a radioactive material such as palladium or iodine -125.
This technique, available at the Rush-Copley Cancer Care Center, allows the delivery of a highly concentrated and locally confined dose of radiation. When used to treat prostate and gynecologic cancers, the radiation kills the cancer while sparing the colon, bladder, and other surrounding organs from excessive radiation. Brachytherapy may be used alone, or with external beam radiation or hormone therapy, depending on the stage of cancer.
The Rush-Copley Heart Institute and Cancer Care Center offer patients access to a procedure that utilizes the power of radiation to help reduce the chance of recurring coronary blockages. Rush-Copley Medical Center is the first in the greater Fox Valley to offer the procedure -- vascular brachytherapy.
Vascular brachytherapy is made possible through the teamwork of the cardiology as the radiation oncology departments. The physicians use radiation to destroy scar tissue and inhibit the overgrowth of normal tissue as the healing process occurs following angioplasty or stent placement. Studies show that with brachytherapy, there is a 36 to 66 percent lower incidence of a renarrowing of the vessel.
Back to Top
Rush-Copley radiologists are helping to redefine the role of the radiologist in cancer care. Traditionally, radiologists focused their efforts on the diagnosis of cancer. Today, Rush-Copley radiologists are working together with medical and radiation oncologists to treat cancer.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Rush-Copley is one of the only medical centers in the greater Fox Valley area to offer a promising cancer treatment option called radiofrequency ablation.
What is radiofrequency ablation?
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a procedure used to destroy undesirable tissue, such as liver tumors. It is a safe and well tolerated procedure that is associated with few complications. Radiofrequency ablation begins with an interventional radiologist using an instrument that passes an alternating electrical current (radiofrequency energy) through a target area (lesion) within tissue. Heat is generated at the site of the lesion through agitation caused by this alternating current. This heat produces coagulation and cellular destruction, resulting in ablation of the tumor. Working closely, Rush-Copley oncologists and radiologists identify patients who could benefit from RFA.
RFA may be performed through an open incision or via laparoscopy. Laparoscopy, also referred to as minimally invasive surgery, is performed through multiple, small skin incisions. If indicated, RFA can also be done through small skin punctures (percutaneously). The patient's doctor will discuss the best approach for their particular case.
Chemoembolization
In this procedure, a Rush-Copley interventional radiologist injects a special material into the main blood vessel leading to the liver. By clogging this vessel, the tumor is deprived of oxygen and other nutrients. Simultaneously a concentrated dose of a chemotheraputic drug is infused into the artery. Some of the benefits of chemoembolization include: fewer systemic side effects, increased chemotherapy agent efficacy, the ability to target specific lesions, and shorter treatment duration.
Back to Top
