Cancer care redesigned
A new model
The Inova Schar Cancer Institute was conceived, designed and built with these concerns in mind. At their first appointment, patients and their families meet the entire treatment team for their cancer type. For example, in skin cancer, that includes a pathologist who reads tissue slides, a dermatologist who performs skin checks, a surgeon who removes melanomas, and an oncologist who evaluates the patient for subtle symptoms of internal spread of cancer.
This way, patients learn more about their specific cancer and the rationale for their treatment, according to Dr. Suraj Venna, Medical Director of the Inova Schar Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center. The burgeoning field of immunotherapy in cancer, including melanoma, has emerged only in the last decade and is dramatically changing outcomes for many patients, says Dr. Venna.
The team also asks patients about their lives and goals for the future, which often have a bearing on how treatment will be planned and delivered. To the extent possible, doctors plan treatment around special events, jobs and hobbies, with services like chemotherapy infusion available on evenings and weekends for people who can’t make it during the work week.
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