MDNews - Greater Boston

CO M PAS SIO N PL AYS K E Y RO LE AT C AN C ER C ENTER One of the most frightening moments in any cancer patient's life is walking through a set of doors with the words "Cancer Center" emblazoned above, approaching the receptionist window and saying, "I'm here for my appointment." Healthcare providers at Lowell General Hospital and the facility's cancer center get it. Matthew Cohen, MD Lowell General's cancer center is busier than ever since the merger with Saints Medical Center was completed in for malignancies usually requires 15-minute sessions, five days per week, for nearly two months. "Particularly with radiation, where there are daily treatments, it's a major disruption for people going into Boston every day to receive treatment for prostate cancer," he says. While a small minority of patients with the most complicated and advanced cases may require care from specialists in Boston, Dr. Cohen says the hospital is able to offer patients local care that is "as good or better" than several big-city tertiary hospitals. Dr. Cohen performs the majority of his prostate cancer procedures with the da Vinci Surgical System, which has been used for prostate cancer procedures at Lowell General since June 2008. "We have a robust program," he says. "Our results are excellent." The urologist says there are several advantages to using the robot instead of earlier surgical technologies for prostate cancer. These benefits include less blood loss, increased precision that reduces postoperative complications and side effects such as incontinence, and faster recovery times. The da Vinci robot's high-definition video camera, which allows the surgeon and everyone else in the operating room to view the surgical site and malignancy, is a tremendous benefit in prostate cancer surgery, Dr. Cohen says. "It's much easier to see the prostate, which is deep in the pelvic region," he adds. In addition to having a dynamic team and cutting-edge technology, the physicians, nurses and allied health professionals at Lowell General Hospital also understand the emotional element at play when treating prostate cancer patients. "I try to stress to my patients that prostate cancer is treatable. It's not a death sentence," says Dr. Cohen. "We can treat prostate cancer so that it is either cured or more of a background condition. Patients can still lead a long and happy life." July 2012, but the cancer center's staff has not lost sight of the compassionate role they must play in the lives of their patients. "We all understand what each patient is going through," says Ellen Edry, the center's Program Manager. "We try to make it as non-threatening as possible." Dr. Cohen says his prostate cancer patients have nothing but praise for the center. "The staff are right in tune with the emotional needs of their patients," he says. "Patients' mental awareness — their mood — really helps with the recovery." The cancer center provides a wide range of treatment and support services, from prevention and screening, to dietary education, to a breast health clinic, to radiation oncology. "Our cancer center wears many, many hats, and we try to provide a full spectrum of care," Edry says. "We're trying to provide a multidisciplinary care experience, so patients don't have to come back multiple times for different services and appointments." Edry says roughly 90 percent of the people who receive a cancer diagnosis at Lowell General are able to receive world-class treatment for their illness at the hospital's cancer center. For the patients with extremely complicated diagnoses, Lowell General has established working relationships with specialists at several Boston facilities, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "We definitely put our patients first in all we do," Edry says. "We know our boundaries and when it's time to call in our specialists from Boston." Dr. Cohen says the patients he treats in collaboration with the cancer center establish strong bonds with the center's staff. For more information about cancer care at Lowell General Hospital, please call 978-000-0000 or visit www.lowellgeneral.org/cancer. I "Several of my patients have said, 'We became friends,'" he adds.

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