Medical Services • Cancer Services

Bringing the most advanced medical treatments and therapies to our community

Once your diagnosis is made, NCH’s multidisciplinary team of specialists will work with you to determine the best treatment and therapy options.

A wide range of treatments and therapies - combining better results and fewer risks

• da Vinci® Surgical System - the gold standard for minimally invasive surgery. This breakthrough technology allows a surgeon to view 3-D images of the surgical field while sitting at a state-of-the-art computer console. Hand, wrists and finger movements are translated into precise robotic arm movements. This gives surgeons greater precision and the patient less pain, fewer side effects and a shorter hospital stay. We are one of the few hospitals in the area to offer this new technology.
• CyberKnife® Stereotactic Radiosurgery System (SRS) - a non-invasive alternative to surgery. It uses an extremely accurate, computer-controlled robotic arm to target tumors with high-dose radiation. We were the first hospital in the Chicago area to offer this groundbreaking technology.
• BARRX HALO³⁶⁰ Ablation System – innovative, non-surgical treatment for Barrett’s Esophagus, a precancerous condition affecting the lining of the esophagus. HALO Ablation Therapy uses radiofrequency electrodes to remove or destroy pre-cancerous cells, thus reducing the risk of developing esophageal cancer.
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) - radiation therapy that delivers a finely tuned dose of radiation, precisely tailored to match the tumor in three dimensions, while leaving the surrounding tissue relatively untouched.
• Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy - an extremely effective method for treating early-stage prostate cancers. Unlike external beam radiation, which delivers a high dose of radiation from outside the body, this technique is a low energy type of radiation therapy. Tiny radioactive devices called seeds are implanted permanently inside the tumor to kill cancer cells. This minimizes radiation exposure to healthy surrounding tissue. On average, 60 to 120 seeds, each smaller than a grain of rice, are placed in the prostate gland. The low energy isotopes used in the seeds lose their radioactivity quickly.
• High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy - placing very tiny plastic catheters into the prostate gland to deliver the radioactive seeds and then giving a series of radiation treatments through these catheters. The catheters are then easily pulled out, and no radioactive material is left in the prostate gland.
• Accelerated Partial Breast Conservation (APBI) - allows more patients to conserve their breasts, avoid mastectomy and complete their local therapy in under two weeks.
• Cryosurgery - using ultrasound technology to guide needles into the prostate, this procedure delivers extremely cold gases that kill the cancer cells.
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) - used to diagnose and sometimes treat gallstones and conditions of the bile ducts and pancreas.
• Advanced Breast Biopsy Options - includes ultrasound-guided, MRI-guided and stereotactic breast biopsy, as well as intact breast excisional biopsies.
• CT and Siemens SOMATOM Definition Dual Source CT System - non-invasive screenings help detect problems and provide higher resolution with less exposure to radiation.
• MammoSite™ Radiation Therapy System - Allows more patients to conserve their breasts and avoid mastectomy. Also reduces therapy time from seven weeks to five days.
• External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) – one of the primary treatments for patients with localized or locally advanced prostate cancer.
• Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT) – use of computerized tomography to generate 3D images of internal anatomy. Sophisticated computer software then uses these images to target the tumors.

Ambulatory Infusion Clinic (AIC) - a full range of outpatient services

AIC offers treatment for patients with hematologic, oncologic and immunologic disorders. It provides a full range of outpatient infusion and injection services including chemotherapy, blood transfusions and treatment with biological response modifiers. Comprehensive services are provided by RN’s, an oncology pharmacist, a dietitian and a licensed social worker.

Clinical Trials

NCH participates in a variety of clinical trials to give you access to the very latest treatments from across the country. Currently, we have more than 33 active clinical trials including studies on cancer prevention, treatment and wellness coaching for patients who have finished treatments.

As a patient, you may be eligible to participate in clinical research. You’ll have the opportunity to receive the most advanced drug therapies or procedures that are only available when you participate in a clinical study. These new therapies and procedures may improve your care. Your physician will discuss which clinical trials are appropriate for your condition.