Surgery may be the best treatment for some cancer patients. Cancers of the skin, breast, lung, prostate, colon and others may be treated by removing a lump, tumor or, in some cases, part or all of the organ or tissue. While surgery offers no cure for some types of cancer, it can improve the quality and extend the lives of many cancer patients.

Lymphedema, chronic swelling in the arm or leg, can be a result of cancer surgery. Baptist Hospital East was the first hospital in the Louisville area with a special clinic for managing this condition. Although it cannot be cured, lymphedema can be successfully treated, reducing pain and discomfort for cancer patients. Free screenings are available at the Lymphedema Clinic with a physician referral.

Treatment may also include chemotherapy, which can cure cancer, keep cancer from spreading, kill cancer cells that may have spread, or relieve symptoms caused by cancer through the use of medication or drugs. Baptist East participates in national clinical trials to study varying combinations of chemotherapy for various types of cancer, and nurses have advanced training in administering chemotherapy to patients. Chemotherapy may be the only treatment a patient receives but is often used in addition to radiation therapy or surgery.

Patients requiring radiation therapy can receive treatment at the Radiation Center at Baptist Hospital East to destroy or slow the growth of cancer cells. Radiation therapy can help cure many kinds of cancer and offers relief from pain and other symptoms. Patients meet with a radiation oncologist to determine how much and what kind of therapy will be most effective in treating their cancer. The radiation oncologist works with a team of professionals, including radiation therapists, dosimetrists and physicists, to provide the highest quality of care and treatment.

During therapy, the radiation oncologist carefully monitors patients for any side effects they may be experiencing from treatment. Many patients experience no side effects at all. Radiation therapists can provide help and guidance in dealing with any side effects from therapy.

Baptist East was the first in the metro Louisville area to offer Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy -- IMRT -- to its patients. With IMRT, the radiation field is customized to the shape of the tumor, sparing more healthy tissue.

The hospital was also the first in Louisville to offer stereotactic radiosurgery, which can treat previously inoperable tumors. Baptist East offers the Novalis Shaped Beam Surgery technology.

The success of any cancer treatment, through radiation, chemotherapy or surgery, depends on how early the cancer is diagnosed. Extensive national data has proven that early detection leads to a higher rate of survival for patients.

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