If you’re coping with a cancer diagnosis, you may feel overwhelmed, but one thing is certain: you do not need to travel far from home for world-class care.
With treatment offered in Berlin, Salisbury, Seaford and Ocean Pines — and a surgical team to provide care as needed — the TidalHealth Richard A. Henson Cancer Institute, TidalHealth Allen Cancer Center and the John H. ‘Jack’ Burbage, Jr., Regional Cancer Care Center offer the most advanced care on the Shore.
TidalHealth boasts an expanded research department that gives patients access to the latest clinical trials; a surgical robot that improves precision and reduces pain; high-tech radiation equipment that preserves healthy tissue and reduces treatment times; and a unified healthcare team that creates individualized care plans and embraces the latest treatment methods.
Advanced technology
Cancer patients in Sussex County and beyond now have access to quicker and more precise treatment options here on Delmarva. TidalHealth offers stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), along with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT).
SRS and SRT are painless, non-invasive procedures that use highly focused beams of radiation to destroy tumors. SRS is typically delivered in a single session, ideal for small tumors in sensitive areas like the brain or spine, while SRT is administered over multiple sessions for larger or more complex tumors. These techniques allow for precise targeting, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
SBRT, often used for small tumors in the body, delivers radiation in three to five treatments, enabling patients to complete their care in one to two weeks. This significantly reduces treatment time compared to standard radiation plans, helping to ease the barriers many patients face in accessing timely care.
“These advanced techniques — SRS, SRT and SBRT — use highly focused, linear accelerator-driven radiation beams to obliterate tumors while sparing nearby normal tissue,” said John Mansueti, MD, TidalHealth’s executive medical director of cancer services. “We are committed to providing the highest quality care across all our locations, and these state-of-the-art treatment options help us fulfill that mission.”
Clinical research
For the past 18 years, TidalHealth has been building a robust research department and forging relationships with the Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network and national cooperative groups for participation in clinical trials.
Each patient enrolled in a clinical trial has a coordinator and/or nurse who facilitates their care, helps them understand the clinical trial process and follows up with them throughout the experience.
Clinical trials are strictly regulated by the federal government to ensure they meet the highest scientific and ethical standards.
So, how do you know if a clinical trial is right for you? Talking it over with your physician is a good first step; TidalHealth’s clinical research team works with doctors throughout the region to help get patients into appropriate trials.
Integrated care
All TidalHealth cancer care locations are accredited. This recognition highlights TidalHealth’s commitment to delivering standardized, patient-centered care across its facilities. As a result of this dedication, TidalHealth has also been designated as an Integrated Network Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
To learn more about cancer care at TidalHealth, visit tidalhealth.org/cancer.
