Oncology at Swedish Medical Center

Cancer treatment center in Denver

At Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center, we understand that a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. This is why we offer patients comprehensive care throughout diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Our hospital features cutting-edge cancer treatment, providing complete cancer care for the entire individual and creating a personalized plan that fits their needs.

To do this, we provide treatment for all cancer types, with specialized programs for cancers including brain, breast, gynecologic and skin cancer. The goal of each of our programs is to ensure high-quality care while offering advanced diagnostic and treatment options.

For more information about cancer diagnosis, treatment and other services, call askSARAH at (303) 253-3225.

Comprehensive cancer care

At Sarah Cannon at Swedish Medical Center, our goal is to ensure that patients feel supported every step of the way. To do this, we offer comprehensive cancer care through a variety of treatments, services and support programs.

Additionally, our programs offer participation in leading-edge clinical trials and have competitive patient outcomes. We do this to ensure we provide you with a wide range of options, so you receive a care plan that is right for you.

Cancer support

Our Cancer Resource Center offers information and assistance to patients and their loved ones. Patients are welcome to attend our free support groups and educational classes that are held regularly. They can also speak with our specially trained staff about scheduling a meeting with our health professionals.

For more information about our Cancer Resource Center, call (303) 788-2627.

Patient navigation

Our patient navigator program helps streamline patient care and provides a single point of contact for patient and family needs. Specially trained oncology nurse navigators can help you access services during treatment and recovery. These may include integrative health services, such as acupuncture and massage or care focused on relieving symptoms, which is provided alongside medical treatment.

Our navigators also craft medical survivorship plans for each patient. The plan includes the resources, remission instructions, warning symptoms, follow-up appointments, screening schedules and treatment dates for each patient’s journey through survivorship.

Cancers we treat

Our cancer care center has a team of experts who are dedicated to treating many types of cancer, including:

Blood cancer care

The Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center provides advanced diagnosis and treatment for blood cancer, including aplastic anemia, autoimmune diseases, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), leukemia, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), myeloma, including multiple myeloma. Our team comprises experts who collaborate at weekly meetings to create treatment plans for each patient. The multidisciplinary team includes:

• Advanced practice providers
• Dietitians
• Financial coordinators
• Board-certified hematologists oncologists
• Oncology registered nurses
• Oncology pharmacists
• Case managers and social workers

With these specialized providers at the helm, our program uses comprehensive, individualized treatment plans benefiting from advanced laboratory technology for measuring blood counts, access to blood marrow or stem cell transplants, access to clinical trials, immunotherapy, infusion services with chemotherapy-certified nurses, nutritional support, psychosocial oncology and radiation therapy.

Brain cancer care

Swedish Medical Center is a leader in the field of neurology and the treatment of brain and spinal cord tumors. One of the ways we do this is through offering stereotactic radiosurgery, sometimes referred to as "knifeless" surgery.

This procedure provides treatment options for formerly "inoperable” tumors. Stereotactic radiosurgery delivers doses of pinpointed radiation to treat brain tumors and other neurological diseases with minimal damage to normal brain tissue. Noninvasive stereotactic radiosurgery treatments are completed in a matter of hours as an outpatient procedure.

If you have recently been diagnosed with a tumor, call our Brain Tumor Support Hotline for assistance with discussing and identifying treatment options, second opinion services and emotional support resources. We are available for questions Monday through Friday between 3:00pm and 4:00pm.

To reach the Brain Tumor Support Hotline, please call (303) 788-5500.

Breast cancer care

Sarah Cannon and Swedish Medical Center have partnered with the Invision Sally Jobe Breast Network to provide individualized, innovative breast and breast-related services to the Rocky Mountain region. We guide patients and their family members through diagnosis, treatment, recovery and survivorship.

Invision Sally Jobe Breast Network is a leader in the diagnosis of breast disease. They offers a full range of breast screening and diagnostic services, including mammography, ultrasound, stereotactic and ultrasound-guided biopsy and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Breast MRI is an advanced technique that further enhances MRI sensitivity, particularly in women who have a compromised mammogram.

Gastrointestinal cancer care

Our facility is home to the Center for Diseases of the Liver & Pancreas—one of the Rocky Mountain region’s most advanced centers for gastroenterological cancer care. This includes the treatment of gallbladder, liver and pancreas cancers.

We use cutting-edge imaging technology and advanced surgical procedures to treat complex tumors and provide the best possible outcome for our patients. Many new technologies and treatments are helping patients with gastrointestinal diseases live longer and healthier lives.

These include:

• Drug therapies
• Gastroenterological treatments
• Interventional radiology
• Radioembolization and chemoembolization
• Radiofrequency ablation

Gynecologic cancer care

Gynecologic oncology services are used to identify and treat cancers of the female reproductive organs. It includes cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer and vulvar cancer.

A diagnosis of gynecologic cancer can be frightening and overwhelming for patients. That’s why at Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center, we have a dedicated team to walk alongside you and help you learn more about your diagnosis, treatment options and survivorship. Our compassionate nurse navigators and experienced support staff provide education, support, exceptional treatments and follow-up care.

Care plans for gynecologic oncology treatment may include chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation therapy, including high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy.

Lung cancer care

Our lung cancer program, which is the only program in Colorado to earn the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for lung cancer care, brings together top providers who meet weekly to discuss each patient’s treatment plan and progress.

If you are a patient with lung abnormalities found on medical imaging, our lung nodule program is here to help. As a virtual program, the Lung Nodule Clinic connects patients with nurse navigators who collaborate with your entire healthcare team to help you navigate through diagnosis, appointments, hospital and community resources, treatment decisions and survivorship.

Swedish was the first facility in the Rocky Mountain region to offer state-of-the-art robotic-assisted lung biopsy for minimally-invasive diagnosis. This highly precise procedure can reach areas of the lung that can be difficult to reach with surgical methods and helps prevent the need for repeat biopsies

Based on your scan, your nurse navigator will make recommendations for follow-up care—including a specialist referral, if needed—and coordinate the proper care throughout your care journey.

For more information about lung cancer screening, contact our lung nodule coordinator at (303) 788-5166.

Skin cancer care

Our Complex Melanoma and Skin Cancer Treatment Center offers interdisciplinary care for skin cancer. We also encourage preventive screenings as early detection and proper treatment of skin cancer are very important to increase the ability of curing the cancer. Our primary care physicians and dermatology specialists in the Greater Denver area can help guide you through skin cancer screening.

Treatments we offer

We offer a wide range of treatments to ensure patients receive the care that is right for them.

Irreversible electoporation for cancer treatment

Swedish Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in the Rocky Mountain region to offer irreversible electoporation to destroy cancerous tumors without high heat or extreme cold, making it safe for sensitive areas.

Irreversible electoporation has been successful in the treatment of cancers of the pancreas, liver, colon and bile ducts. This minimally invasive treatment option is available at our Center for Diseases of the Liver & Pancreas.

How irreversible electoporation works

Computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound imaging techniques guide two or more fine-needle electrodes around the tumor. The electrodes deliver a series of high-voltage, low-energy direct currents to create nano-size defects in the cell membrane, leading to cell death.

This specialized treatment:

• Allows patients to often experience less pain and scarring and faster recovery times than other traditional ablation options
• Effectively treats tumors without damaging surrounding critical structures or vessels
• Is cleared by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the surgical ablation of soft tissue
• Provides an option for patients that have a tumor in difficult-to-treat areas and who are not good candidates for surgery

To find out more about irreversible electoporation call, (303) 788-3478.

Lymphedema treatment

Lymphedema is a condition resulting from impaired flow of the lymphatic system causing swelling or a collection of fluid in the arms or legs. Lymphedema may cause people to feel their rings, watches or bracelets are too tight and restricted flexibility in their wrists, hands and ankles.

Often a side effect of cancer treatment where lymph nodes are removed, lymphedema can also be brought on by certain cancer-fighting treatments such as tamoxifen (a hormone therapy drug) and radiation therapy.

To help patients experiencing lymphedema, The Center for Lymphatic Restoration at Swedish offers both surgical and non-surgical treatment options and combines innovative techniques with traditional treatments for effective results.

How lymphedema treatment works

Although there is no cure for lymphedema, it can be treated through early diagnosis, care by a specialized healthcare team and patient attention to the affected limb. Our experts first meet with a patient to discuss his/her diagnosis and needs. We then create a personalized plan based on imaging results and the needs of the patient.

Nonsurgical treatment options include:

• Compression garments
• Diet
• Exercise
• Manual drainage
• Massage
• Skin care

Surgical treatment options include:

Early Stage Lymphedema

• Lymphovenous Anastomosis (LVA)
  This surgical procedure connects an intact healthy lymphatic vessel to a vein. This allows the lymph fluid to drain through the circulatory system.

More Advanced Lymphedema

• Debulking Procedures Such as Suction-Assisted Protein Lipectomy (SAPL)
  This procedure is used when the lymphedema is long-standing and has progressed to fat. This liposuction procedure debulks fatty tissue in the swollen limb.
• Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer (VLNT)
  Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer is a procedure in which healthy lymph nodes are moved from one part of your body to the limb with lymphedema. They may be moved from the groin, underarm or neck. The transferred lymph nodes can then move lymphatic fluid that has been trapped, relieving pressure in the affected limb.

For more information about the Swedish Center for Lymphatic Restoration contact our patient navigator at (303) 788-6466.

Radiation oncology

Our cancer center offers expert radiation therapy from a dedicated team of specialists. We are an accredited American College of Radiology (ACR) radiation oncology practice led by a board-certified radiation oncologist and nursing staff certified by Oncology Certification for Nurses (ONS).

A less invasive treatment option that uses radiation to treat cancer cells, radiation oncology is often used alongside surgery and chemotherapy. Using advanced imaging tools, radiation treatment is targeted to affected cells with minimal damage to healthy tissue.

Our options for radiation oncology include:

• Irreversible electoporation
• Linear accelerator
• Stereotactic radiosurgery

High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy

The radiation oncology team at Swedish is highly experienced in providing HDR brachytherapy. Designed to eradicate cancer while preserving quality of life, this treatment uses a targeted, precise delivery system to place a high dose of radiation directly against (intracavity) or in (interstitial) the tumor. Patients with gynecologic cancers often have a high success rate with this type of treatment, as it can be customized to patients’ specific needs at the time of treatment.

Performed as an outpatient procedure, patients receive the radiation dose through an applicator, which is then removed. Patients leave the hospital with no radiation left in their bodies and may resume normal activities on the same day as treatment.

The team at Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute at Swedish Medical Center has experience in providing brachytherapy for endometrial, cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers. Talk to your provider about incorporating brachytherapy into your treatment plan or call us for a second opinion at (866) 779-3347.

Robotic surgery for cancer treatment

Our gynecologic oncology and prostate cancer programs use highly advanced, minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery for appropriate cases.

Robotic surgery is designed to provide surgeons with enhanced capabilities, including high-definition 3D vision, a magnified view and better control. This advanced technology allows the surgeons to perform complex procedures through just a few tiny openings, resulting in:

• Faster recovery
• Less blood loss and transfusions
• Less pain
• Less risk of infection
• Less scarring
• Quicker return to normal activities

Stereotactic radiosurgery

We offer specialized stereotactic radiosurgery, often called "knifeless" brain surgery, which provides treatment options for formerly "inoperable" tumors. Stereotactic radiosurgery delivers doses of pinpointed radiation to treat brain tumors and other neurological diseases with minimal damage to normal brain tissue.

Benefits of stereotactic radiosurgery include:

• It is covered by Medicare and most insurance providers.
• Patients are usually discharged within 12 hours, reducing the cost of treatment compared to traditional brain surgery
• Patients experience virtually no pain, discomfort or side effects
• Patients usually return to preoperative lifestyle the day following the procedure
• Safe, accurate, reliable and noninvasive outpatient procedure
• There is a lower incidence of postoperative complications, infections and internal hemorrhage.

Skull base tumors treatment

We are one of the few facilities in the country with a dedicated program for skull base tumors. Through our comprehensive skull base program, our specialized physicians and cutting-edge treatment options offer patients advanced skull base tumor care.

To diagnose a skull base tumor, our physicians may use a variety of diagnostic tests. We have imaging capabilities specific for skull base tumors, including:

• Computed tomography (CT) scans
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Positron emission tomography (PET) scans

Our clinical team treats skull base tumors with a variety of surgical procedures, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Our surgical options for skull base tumors include:

• Interventional neuroradiology treatment
• Minimally invasive surgical techniques
• Open incision surgical techniques