National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University is an NCI-designated, university-based, matrix cancer center conducting a broad range of multidisciplinary clinical, laboratory, and population science research. The Cancer Center integrates the expertise and resources of the Medical School (Chicago Campus) and its affiliated hospitals along with those of departments located on the University's Evanston Campus. Since it was established in 1974, the Cancer Center, a department-level entity of the Feinberg School of Medicine, has been dedicated to the process of discovery, advancing medical knowledge, and providing compassionate, state-of-the-art cancer care.

General Information

Treatment

Multidisciplinary Clinics

Specialized Treatment Programs

Stem Cell Transplant Program - 312.926.5400

There are three types of transplant, based on donor source:

· Autologous - You are your own donor

· Allogeneic - Stem cells are donated by another individual. The donor may be a sibling, other family member, or an unrelated individual; related or matched unrelated.

· Syngeneic - The donor is your identical twin.

Radiation Oncology Center – 312.926.2520
The Department of Radiation Oncology provides therapies that include 3-D conformal radiation, low dose rate and high dose brachytherapy, hyperthermia, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) and Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

Cancer Rehabilitation Services Program – 312.283.6100
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago directs the Cancer Rehabilitation Services Program for the Lurie Cancer Center, providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services to treat a wide range of short- and long-term impairments that may result from the disease and its treatments.

The following diseases are treated using stem cell transplant:

• Leukemia, including Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), and Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
• Lymphoma, including Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas, such as Large B-Cell Lymphoma, Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), and Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL)
• Multiple Myeloma
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Stem cell transplant may also be considered for patients with the following conditions:

• Aplastic Anemia
• Myelofibrosis
• Some solid tumors

Center for Integrative Medicine (CIM) - 312.926.DOCS (3627)

Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness offers a blend of traditional primary care medicine with integrative therapies. Board-certified internists collaborate with certified integrative practitioners to offer a holistic approach to caring for both acute and chronic medical conditions. A focused Integrative Oncology Program provides the following services tailored to the cancer patient population:

CIM offers the following integrated services:

· Internal Medicine Consults to develop a wellness plan

· Naturopathic Consults and Function Nutrition Consults

· Traditional Chinese Medice/Acupuncture

· Mind-Body therapies, i.e., relaxation therapies, biofeedback, etc., with trained health psychologists

· Energy Therapies including Reiki and Healing Touch

· Massage Therapies including Deep Tissue Relaxation, Craniosacral Therapy and Manual Lymphatic Drainage

· Dietary supplements, herbal therapy and homeopathy

Dermatologic Care Center & Pigmented Lesion Clinic – 312.695.8106
The Dermatologic Care Center manages and researches strategies for skin conditions in cancer patients and survivors, as well as skin conditions that occur as a result of anticancer drugs. SERIES (Skin and Eye Reactions to Inhibitors of EFGT and kinases) research program complements the services provided by the Dermatologic Care Center.

The Pigmented Lesion Clinic provides state-of-the-art medical care for individuals with numerous irregular moles, dysplastic moles and melanoma. This program incorporates whole body digital photography, in addition to magnified dermoscopic images of individual moles as a method of monitoring the development of melanoma. Emphasis is also placed on patient education pertaining to sun protection and signs of developing skin cancer. This program offers a comprehensive approach for the early detection and treatment of melanoma.

Fertility Preservation Program – 866.708.3378 (FERT); 312.503.3378 (FERT)
Cancer survival rates have increased steadily in recent years, particularly among younger patients; yet the more aggressive forms of treatment have made this possible often compromise a cancer patient’s ability to have biological children in the following years. The Fertility Preservation Patient Navigator works the Lurie Cancer Center physicians and reproductive specialists to help patients explore the issues, understand available options and provide referrals.

Cancer Prevention and Screening

Screening Services

• Breast cancers: Lynn Sage Comprehensive Breast Center - 312.472.0469
• Prostate Cancer (including Familial Prostate Cancer Screening): 312.695.4426
• All other sites: Northwestern Memorial Hospital Physician Services - 312.926.8400

Research-based Screening and Early Detection Programs

In addition to routine screening services for breast, cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancer, the Lurie Cancer Center also has research-based screening and early detection programs that include:

· Northwestern Ovarian Cancer Early Detection and Prevention Program (312.926.6606)-provides care and services for asymptomatic high risk women with a research focus on development of blood biomarkers for early detection

· Bluhm Family Breast Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Program-provides care and services for asymptomatic high risk women, providing specialized testing including ductal lavage, and/or referral for genetic testing and counseling

· Familial Prostate Cancer Screening (312.695.4426)-provides free screening in an effort to combat a disease that is the second leading cause of cancer death among men.

· The Cancer Skin Care Program (312.695.8106)-the first of its kind in the nation designed to treat skin reactions frequently caused by anticancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation.

Community Screening and Education

Community screening and education programs are sponsored by the hospital on an ad hoc basis, often at reduced cost. Included are breast, prostate, gynecologic, colorectal, and skin cancer programs.

Wellness Institute - 312.926.WELL (9355)

The Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital offers Smoking Cessation Programs, Weight Management and Nutrition, Fitness and Exercise Programs, and Prevention Programs (Screening Guidelines and Stress Management and Coping), and also provides comprehensive screening guidelines.

Supportive Care

Palliative Care Program- 312.926.4600
The Palliative Care Program provides care to patients and family members when pain and other symptoms impair their quality of life. A team of physicians, nurses, social workers, pastoral counselors, bereavement counselors, volunteers and other healthcare professionals focus on relieving pain and other distressing symptoms of patients with acute or chronic illnesses.

Home Hospice Program – 312.926.4600
Hospice is a philosophy of care that accepts death as the final stage of life. The Lurie Cancer Center’s Home Hospice Program assures patients that each day can be enjoyed in physical and emotional comfort. A team of physicians, nurses, social workers, pastoral counselors, bereavement counselors, volunteers and other healthcare professionals provide holistic home-based support to patients and families.

Pain Service – 312.238.5654
Center for Pain Studies based at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago provides inpatient and outpatient consultation for multidisciplinary pain management.

The Anesthesiology Pain Medicine Center – 312.695.2500
Provides interventional pain management services.

Nutrition Service – Inpatient: 312.926.2298; Outpatient – 312.695.0990
Northwestern Memorial Hospital has registered dieticians available for inpatient care and post-discharge outpatient consultation. The Clinical Cancer Center outpatient facility also has dieticians available for consultation as part of a multidisciplinary Supportive Oncology team.

Support Services

Inpatient Services
Northwestern Memorial Hospital provides a range of support groups for cancer patients, including a general support group and specialized groups for breast and prostate cancers. In addition, the hospital's Department of Case Management comprised of Pastoral Care, Nurse Discharge Planning, and Social Work staff, provides a full range of counseling services for inpatients, including referral for psychiatric evaluation/intervention as needed. For outpatients, the Lurie Cancer Center provides Supportive Oncology care team comprised of a clinical psychologist, social worker, dietician, and palliative care/symptom management nurse.

Outpatient Services – 312.695.0990
A multidisciplinary Supportive Oncology Team at the Lurie Cancer Center is available to provide comprehensive psycho-social care to patients and families. The team includes clinical psychologists, social workers, dieticians and a health educator, as well a psychiatry team, including a psychiatrist and an advanced practice nurse. The services of American Cancer Society Patient Navigators and an Oncofertility Navigator are also integrated with the Supportive Oncology Team.

Patient and Public Education
A wide range of patient and public education programs are sponsored by the Lurie Cancer Center each year typically focused in specific disease areas. The Lurie Cancer Center web site, www.cancer.northwestern.edu, provides information for patients on an ongoing basis, and an extensive Health Learning Center is also available on site, providing a comprehensive range of print and video resources for cancer patients. A Health Learning Center Satellite, which is staffed by a full time patient educator, is located in the outpatient clinical cancer care facility.

Survivorship and Advocacy Programs
• The Lurie Cancer Center also has a Patient Advocacy Committee comprised of survivors and key staff to provide input on a wide range of programs and activities. In addition, the Lurie Cancer Center’s signature event is the Cancer Survivors’ Walk and Celebration, on the first Sunday in June. This event annually draws approximately 4,000 participants and serves as a major means of recognizing survivors and raising public awareness about cancer risk. Additional information is available at www.cancer.northwestern.edu.

STAR Program (Late Effects Clinic) – 312.695.4979
• The Lurie Cancer Center sponsors the STAR (Survivors Taking Action and Responsibility) Program for long-term survivors of pediatric cancer. This unique multi-disciplinary clinic is staffed by an internal medicine physician, clinical psychologist, and advanced practice nurse. The entire team has a primary focus on health maintenance and surveillance and patient education. Primary care services are provided with special emphasis on cardiac, endocrine, orthopedic, and psychosocial late effects, as well as monitoring for second malignancies.

SUCCEED Program (Breast Cancer Survivorship) – 312.472.4720
• The Breast Cancer Survivors Comprehensive Care, Empowerment and Education Program (SUCCEED) addresses the problems that many breast cancer survivors face including infertility due to premature failure, hot flashes, sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, lymphedema, neuropathy, cardiac dysfunction, depression, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome. A multidisciplinary team of physicians, nutritionists, exercise therapists, psychologists and others work with each survivor to provide education and comprehensive care. Patients referred to the program receive a “survivorship care plan” and will follow up annually with SUCCEED, in addition to their surgical and medical oncology team.

Cooperative Group Membership

Clinical and Research Efforts

Adult Oncology Program*

*FY08 (9/1/08-8/31/09)

• Profile Overview
• Adult Oncology
• Genetic Testing
• Pediatric Oncology
• Find Clinical Trials