Cancer Treatment
The Oncology Program at Vanguard West Suburban Medical Center offers specialized cancer treatment for the various cancers. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are given at the Cancer Center conveniently located on the Vanguard River Forest Medical Campus.
Chemotherapy - We offer the latest in chemotherapy treatments, including targeted cancer therapy which are drugs that are more selective for cancer cells thus sparing normal cells unlike traditional chemotherapy. This decreases the side effects of treatment and improves quality of life.
Radiation - The Oncology Program provides a comprehensive, caring environment for patients needing radiation therapy. The Radiology Oncology treatment team includes board-certified radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, dosimetrist medical assistants and a medical physicist. Patients in need of radiation therapy can take advantage of a breakthrough in radiation therapy known as intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT. When IMRT is used on certain types of cancer, patients may experience fewer side effects and complications, and cancer control rates may be improved. IMRT is the most precise form of external beam radiation now available.
Other treatment therapies - The Oncology Program offers other treatment therapies that include hormone therapies, biologic therapies, blood and platelet transfusions and bone marrow biopsies.
Clinical trials - The Cancer Center enrolls a number of patients in clinical trials, research studies that explore new ways to treat cancer. We employ an on-site clinical trials nurse so we can offer patients the newest cancer-fighting drugs and technologies. Many of the therapies administered during trials are accessible only at select cancer centers.
Interventional Radiology - The interventional radiologists at Vanguard West Suburban Medical Center provide a variety of image-guided diagnostics and treatments for cancer, including:
- Chemoembolization
- Core needle biopsies
- Cryoablation
- CT/MRI/Ultrasound guided biopsies
- Fine-needle aspiration
- Intra-arterial yttrium-90 (Y-90) therapy
- Need localizations
- Radioactive iodine (I-131) therapy for thyroid cancer
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Venous access, including porta-catheter insertion