Every week, hundreds of patients undergo leading-edge treatments or testing at the MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center. Located in the new Patient Care Pavilion, the Cancer Institute offers a full spectrum of advanced care, all under one roof.
The First Step
For many, the journey begins with Orange Coast Medical Center's MemorialCare Imaging Center, which has MRI scanners and 64-slice spiral CT as well as combined PET/CT scanning capabilities. A PET scan (positron emission tomography) uses a small amount of radioactive material to identify growing cancer cells, while a CT scan captures the size and shape of abnormal growths. When combined into a PET/CT scan, these technologies offer unparalleled accuracy in the diagnosis of certain cancers.
Whether a patient is newly diagnosed or in need of ongoing therapy, Orange Coast Medical Center offers the most advanced treatments, including specialized outpatient surgery and chemotherapy. The latter is provided in a state-of-the-art infusion center. For those undergoing radiotherapy, the Radiation Oncology Center features a RapidArc linear accelerator, which delivers targeted radiation with greater speed and precision than do traditional forms of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).
The Cancer Institute also has the county's only hospital-sited CyberKnife—a revolutionary, radiation-based alternative to surgery. The CyberKnife delivers highly concentrated beams of radiation from virtually any angle, making it possible to treat tumors previously considered inoperable or inaccessible, including those in the brain and spinal cord. Because of the way the radiation is delivered, there is almost no harm to healthy tissue.
Comprehensive Care
Dedicated to supporting patients and families before, during and after cancer, the Institute offers free counseling, support groups, physical therapy facilities, an American Cancer Society Information Center and a wig bank and prosthesis center.
No one knows the importance of exceptional cancer care better than Marshall Freedman. When a routine PSA test and subsequent biopsy revealed a particularly aggressive form of prostate cancer, the retired attorney sought help from the MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center.
Alive And Well
Even though the cancer had spread to other areas of his body, Marshall responded so well to treatment that he has remained cancer-free for the past five years. Currently, he spends time with his adored grandchildren, plays tennis and pursues photography. "Thanks to the exceptional team of physicians and caregivers at Orange Coast Medical Center, I learned that advanced cancer isn't a death sentence," he says.