Center For Cancer Care

The Region's Leader In Cancer Care
Since 1995, experience, dedication and caring are the three words most associated with the Center for Cancer Care at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. The Center for Cancer Care is the region's leading provider of cancer care and hope.

The Center for Cancer Care houses almost all outpatient cancer services in one area so cancer patients and their loved ones do not have to endure the emotional and physical stress of making multiple office visits to several locations.

OSF Saint Anthony was the first healthcare provider in the Rockford area to provide our patients high-dose rate brachytherapy, which uses radiation internally to attack tumors, prostate seed implants, as well as genetic risk assessment programs for breast and colon cancer.

The physicians, nurses, medical technicians and other healthcare staff at the Center for Cancer Care are some of the best in oncology care. They are talented, skilled, hard working and knowledgeable professionals dedicated to providing world-class medical care, as well as the emotional and spiritual support needed to defeat cancer.

Services offered at the Center for Cancer Care include:

  • Chemotherapy
  • Antibiotic therapy
  • Blood cell transfusions
  • Hydration therapy
  • External beam treatments
  • High-dose rate brachytherapy
  • Prostate seed implants
  • Pain management
  • Mammosite
  • Research protocols
  • Social services
  • Nutrition support
  • Financial counseling
  • Pastoral care
  • Support groups
  • Educational materials
  • Rehabilitation

Accreditation with Commendation

The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has granted a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the OSF Saint Anthony Center for Cancer Care.  The performance report was based on a voluntary on-site survey conducted at the OSF Center for Cancer Car by experienced healthcare professionals who gathered extensive performance information.

By requesting that the Commission on Cancer conduct an objective evaluation of its performance according to the standards of the Approvals Program, the OSF Center for Cancer Care demonstrated its commitment to exceptional care and its accountability for the care and services it provides.

 A few examples for which the OSF Saint Anthony Center for Cancer Care received the accreditation with commendation include collaborating with physicians and organizations to provide free skin, colon and prostate cancer screenings in the community; providing a “navigator” for breast cancer patients through its “Bridges” program, and offering free community education programs.

 The OSF Center for Cancer Care offers a free “Woman to Woman” support group and a breast cancer risk reduction class.  It also offers a Genetic Risk Assessment Program for breast, ovarian, colon and endometrial cancer.  The OSF Center for Cancer Care is also involved in research and clinical trials.

Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive, quality care.  The CoC collects standardized and quality data from accredited facilities and uses the data  to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local levels. Approximately 25 percent of all U.S. hospitals achieve CoC accreditation.  This 25 percent of hospitals diagnose and/or treat 71 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.

Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that patients will receive:

  • Quality care close to home
  • Comprehensive care offering a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment.
  • A multidisciplinary, team approach to coordinate the best cancer treatment options available.
  • Access to cancer-related information and education.
  • Access to patient-centered services such as psychosocial distress screening and navigation.
  • Options for genetic assessment and counseling, and palliative care services.
  • Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care.
  • Assessment of treatment planning based on evidence-based national treatment guidelines.
  • Information about clinical trials and new treatment options.
  • Follow-up care at the completion of treatment, including a survivorship care plan.
  • A cancer registry that collects data on cancer type, stage, and treatment results, and offers lifelong patient follow-up.

Mammosite Speeds Breast Cancer Treatment
A minimally invasive, faster treatment option for some women with early-stage breast cancer is available at the OSF Saint Anthony Center for Cancer Care. The treatment, Mammosite, provides targeted internal radiation therapy for some women with early-stage breast cancer. For more information, click here. To find out if you are eligible for Mammosite, talk to your surgeon.