Cancer Care at Wellstar Douglas
Every person is unique. That’s why your multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists at Wellstar Douglas Medical Center will design a cancer care plan that’s personalized to you.
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Comprehensive, Personalized Cancer Care
We bring select services close to home, including cancer screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies, medical oncology, advanced robotic surgery and radiation oncology consults. People with cancer can also benefit from support services here, such as nurse navigation, physical therapy and lymphedema therapy.
Expert cancer care
Wellstar Douglas Medical Center’s specialists have a high degree of experience in all cancer types and provide comprehensive multidisciplinary care for people with breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, head and neck and gynecological cancers. Our cancer experts meet together in multidisciplinary conferences and STAT Clinics to review diagnosis, staging and care plans so patients have the best possible outcomes.And, our experts have experts. As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, Wellstar Doulgas Medical Center's cancer specialists can request eConsults — virtual second opinions — from Mayo Clinic specialists at no additional cost to patients.
Nationally-recognized care
Wellstar is accredited by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC) and received the Outstanding Achievement Award, the highest honor given to a cancer program in the United States. Wellstar Douglas Medical Center has also been nationally awarded and recognized for being one of the safest hospitals in the nation and for delivering high-quality nursing care.
Our Services
- Personalized Care
- Screenings
- Breast Imaging
- STAT Clinics
- Medical Oncology
- Cancer Surgery
- Radiation Therapy
- Interventional Radiology
- Support Services
Personalized Care Close to Home
We offer the most personalized care aimed at achieving the best outcomes possible. You have access to the comprehensive cancer expertise you need here in Douglas County. Our multidisciplinary team includes specialists who work together to diagnose and develop personalized treatment plans for each person. Our cancer teams are made up of medical oncologists, cancer surgeons, radiation oncologists, interventional radiologists, pathologists, nurse navigators and genetic specialists.
Cancer Screening for Better Outcomes
The goal of cancer screening is to identify cancer in earlier stages when it is most curable. We encourage you to talk to your primary care clinician about the screenings that are right for you, which may include:
Breast Imaging at Wellstar Douglas
Breast cancer experts use state-of-the-art technology in the Douglas community to help you screen for and diagnose breast cancer closer to home.Our radiologists, interventional radiologists and breast surgeons work together to offer these services to our community:
- Tomosynthesis (3D digital mammography) for breast cancer screening and diagnosis
- Breast ultrasound
- Breast needle localization
- Breast MRI
STAT Clinics
Patients experience the highest level of patient-centered care in our STAT Clinics for specific cancer types. In these multidisciplinary clinics, multiple specialists meet with the patient in one location in one day, to help a patient understand their diagnosis and treatment options. Because of this model, patients typically start treatment faster, which can lead to better outcomes.Learn more about:
Medical Oncology
Our medical oncologists serve as a partner in care for each patient and work in a multidisciplinary fashion with other cancer experts to help our patients achieve optimal clinical outcomes. The compassionate medical oncologists here offer personalized care plans and advanced treatments. The right treatment for an individual may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapies—given independently or in combination.
Cancer Surgery
Wellstar’s experienced cancer surgeons perform operations for people with colon, prostate cancer and head and neck cancer in Wellstar Douglas Medical Center's state-of-the-art operating rooms. Using the latest techniques and technology, we offer traditional open surgery and minimally invasive procedures.
One option includes minimally invasive robotic procedures, which shorten hospital stays and speed recovery for patients. The advanced da Vinci surgical system enables patients with colon, gynecological, prostate cancer and other urinary tract cancers to have highly precise procedures performed by experienced surgeons.
Our team works closely with cancer surgeons at other Wellstar hospitals to offer a broad range of advanced cancer surgery to our patients when surgery is needed.
Radiation Oncology Consultation
Wellstar now offers a radiation oncology clinic for consultations and second opinions for patients in Douglas County and surrounding areas.This weekly clinic allows people with new cancer diagnoses to consult with a radiation oncologist closer to home. Once they establish a radiation therapy plan, patients can receive treatment at nearby Wellstar facilities to support their personalized treatment plan.
Interventional Radiology
Our experienced interventional radiologists perform minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat people with cancer. Some procedures are outpatient procedures, usually done in about 30 to 45 minutes, and allow the patients to go home the same day.Interventional radiologists provide these cancer services close to home for our patients:
- Image-guided biopsies, which play a prominent role in the diagnosis of cancer
- Image-guided tumor ablation, where a special needle delivers extreme heat or cold to kill cancer cells in specific areas such as the kidney, liver and coming soon, lung
- Mediport placement for efficient delivery of chemotherapy
- Placement of feeding tubes to deliver nutrition and hydration
- Thoracentesis, paracentesis and tunneled pleural and peritoneal catheter placement to relieve fluid build-up in the chest and abdomen
- Cancer pain management which combines radiofrequency ablation with vertebral augmentation to treat pathologic spine fractures
- Biliary and urinary drainage placement to provide relief for an obstruction or allow healing while recovering from surgery
Cancer Support Services
People with cancer have access to a compassionate network of support at Wellstar Douglas Medical Center. While you navigate your diagnosis and treatment, our one-on-one support, education and peer support groups can improve your quality of life in many ways. The goal of our comprehensive support program is for patients to heal medically, physically, spiritually and emotionally during treatment and beyond.Patients may find it beneficial to work with:
- Nurse navigators, registered nurses trained in specific clinical areas who bring a highly personalized level of guidance and support to each patient and family
- Oncology social workers, who help people undergoing treatment improve their quality of life with counseling, education and connection to resources
- Registered oncology dietitians, who help people maximize their nutrition and well-being
- Physical therapists, lymphedema therapists and speech therapists who provide cancer rehabilitation services
- Genetic counselors who help patients with rare syndromes linked to cancer to understand their disease, make informed decisions about treatment and lifestyle choices, and discuss how results may affect their family members
- Chaplains who offer you spiritual care with hope and a compassionate presence
- Financial counselors who assist patients with information about their health plan coverage and financial assistance
Support groups are a meaningful way for many of our patients to connect with peers. Your nurse navigator can help you get connected. No matter which type of support you need, we’re here to help you and your loved ones face cancer with confidence.
Learn more about our support services for people with cancer.
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