You are here: Home > Cancer Services

Cancer Services

Loyola University Health System provides comprehensive care for patients with all forms of cancer. Health care providers take a holistic approach, offering physical, emotional and spiritual support for patients and their families.

Key Services

Loyola’s outpatient cancer services are located at the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, the only free-standing facility in Illinois that combines cancer research, diagnosis, treatment and prevention all under one roof. Services include diagnostic testing, a day hospital for chemotherapy and transfusions, a high-dose therapy unit and multidisciplinary and specialty clinics.

The center’s seven multidisciplinary clinics bring together a wide range of board-certified medical experts who evaluate the patient’s condition and provide a comprehensive treatment plan, often on the first visit. These clinics include:

Breast Care Center
Gastrointestinal Oncology Center
Head and Neck Center
Melanoma Clinic
Neuro-oncology Clinic
Radiosurgery Clinic
Thoracic Oncology Clinic

Additionally, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center offers specialty clinics for bone marrow transplant, dermatology, gynecologic oncology, hematology, high-dose therapy, neurosurgery, pain management, pediatric hematology, pediatric oncology, radiation therapy, skin cancer, surgical oncology and urology.

Inpatient cancer care is available at Loyola’s Foster G. McGaw Hospital and the Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital of Loyola University Medical Center. Advanced radiation therapy facilities are located on the Loyola campus and at nearby Edward J. Hines Jr. Memorial Veterans Affairs Hospital.

Pioneering Programs and Procedures

Cancer specialists at Loyola are constantly seeking new ways to provide better, more effective care for their patients. Three recent clinical advancements include:

• High-dose therapy unit — a one-of-a-kind outpatient facility for patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation, stem cell transplantation and high-dose infusion therapies. The facility is the first in Illinois to provide such technologically advanced care in a home-like setting.
• Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy — this procedure utilizes the application of three-dimensional radiation therapy to provide a more effective attack on tumors of the head and neck, causing minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

• Radioactive seed implants for men with early-stage prostate cancer — a therapy using tiny pellets that are implanted directly in the middle of the tumor, where they emit low-level radiation continuously for approximately one year.

Research

Loyola’s clinical researchers are recognized nationally for their pioneering cancer research and treatment programs using stem cell and bone marrow transplantation, chemotherapy, biologic response modifiers, surgery and radiation therapy. Since 1994, cancer patients have participated in more than 200 clinical trials at Loyola, allowing them to receive therapies that are not yet available at community hospitals.

Basic science research programs at Loyola include those for cancer immunology, cancer prevention and control, hematologic malignancy, and skin cancer. Investigators are grouped according to their research focus to foster collaboration and sharing of ideas. The sheer size of the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center’s basic research facilities — 34 laboratories, each occupying 500 square feet — demonstrates the strength of Loyola’s research commitment.

Support Groups and Services

The Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center offers a number of supportive services for patients and families dealing with cancer, including:

Clinical psychology
Genetics counseling
Home care and hospice
Nutritional assessment
Spiritual care
Social work services
Support groups
Speech therapy
Special programs for children with cancer
Patient education
Community outreach

The Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center staff touches lives in the community by helping people prevent cancer, educating them about the disease and celebrating the successes of cancer survivors. Community outreach programs include:

• Regular screenings for breast, bladder and prostate cancer.
• Loyola’s CAN-HELP cancer information line (708) CAN-HELP staffed by three certified cancer care nurses who use a computerized database to provide cancer-related information and literature. CAN-HELP receives an average of 440 calls a month.
• Special events, including a Survivors’ Day Celebration and Bone Marrow Transplant Picnic.