UPMC Cancer Centers and the Washington Hospital Partner on New Radiation Oncology Venture

New venture to bring state-of-the-art cancer care and added expertise to the region

WASHINGTON, Pa., Oct. 9 – Leaders from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and The Washington Hospital today announced that the UPMC and The Washington Hospital Cancer Center, a program of The Washington Hospital and UPMC Cancer Centers, will open on Dec. 4. Working in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, the new venture will offer cancer patients exceptional care and state-of-the-art treatments close to home.

Affiliated with a network of more than 40 UPMC Cancer Centers established throughout the tri-state region, the UPMC and The Washington Hospital Cancer Center serves as a model for community-based delivery of cancer services. Radiation oncologists at the center will work in tandem with the hospital’s medical staff and more than 2,000 physicians, scientists, administrative staff and other health care professionals dedicated to advancing cancer research at UPCI and patient care at UPMC Cancer Centers.

The new partnership, located at The Washington Hospital’s main campus at 155 Wilson Ave., Washington, Pa., is part of a comprehensive cancer program at the hospital that includes state-of-the-art radiation therapy, improved diagnostic capabilities and other support services to help patients overcome cancer. Services include screening and early detection, clinical diagnosis, access to the latest treatments, symptom management and supportive care.

“UPMC is honored to work with area physicians in their mission to serve the people of this community by providing patients and their families with the support and care they need to overcome cancer,” said Dwight Heron, MD, director of radiation oncology, UPMC Cancer Centers.

“The cancer center will combine UPMC’s world-class research and technology with the outstanding community medical facilities, people and services at The Washington Hospital,” said Telford Thomas, president and CEO of The Washington Hospital. “This collaboration with UPMC guarantees that patients in this region will receive the most effective, technologically advanced radiation treatment available anywhere. The Washington Hospital is fulfilling its mission and builds on the commitment to deliver state-of-the-art cancer care to the residents of Washington, Greene and southern Allegheny counties close to home.”

The UPMC and The Washington Hospital Cancer Center offers an advanced form of radiation therapy called intensity modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT, which precisely targets radiation to the shape and thickness of a tumor to treat cancer cells while minimizing the dose of radiation received by healthy tissues that surround the tumor. This results in fewer adverse side effects for patients undergoing treatment and can significantly improve quality of life for patients receiving IMRT compared to those receiving standard radiation therapy.

In addition to IMRT, the center also will offer PET/CT, a sophisticated form of imaging that combines positron emission tomography and computed tomography to more precisely detect cancer. Patients will have access to innovative clinical trials in cancer prevention and treatment available only at UPMC Cancer Centers.

“By collaborating with The Washington Hospital, cancer patients in this community will have improved access to therapeutic agents that target cancer and promising new treatment options,” said Ronald B. Herberman, MD, director of UPMC Cancer Centers and UPCI.

The Washington Hospital is a full service, 265-bed hospital serving Washington and its surrounding communities with multiple outpatient sites throughout Washington and Greene counties and a medical staff that includes more than 350 primary care and specialty physicians.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is the leading integrated delivery system for health care in Pennsylvania. UPMC is dedicated to providing exemplary patient care, educating the next generation of health care professionals and advancing biomedical research. UPMC includes primary care and specialist physician practices, rehabilitation services, in-home services, retirement living options, a mail-order pharmacy, occupational medicine services, durable medical devices, technology transfer ventures and international health care initiatives.

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