Oncology Services at Christ Hospital
Accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer
When Hudson County residents require cancer care, they can get the medical and technical expertise they need right in their own neighborhood . . .
For the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, Christ Hospital can provide the most advanced treatment available through its team of board-certified medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists. Christ Hospital's cancer team also includes a board-certified medical radiation physicist, a certified dosimetrist, licensed and registered radiation therapists, and a registered oncology nurse specialist.
Who operates this equipment?
The patient's radiation oncologist prescribes the appropriate treatment volume and dosage. The medical radiation physicist and the dosimetrist determine how to deliver the prescribed dose and calculate the amount of time it will take the accelerator to deliver that dose. Radiation therapists operate the linear accelerator and give patients their daily radiation treatments.
The expertise of these physicians and healthcare professionals is backed up by state-of-the-art equipment which includes: linear accelerators, radiation therapy simulators; IMRT, BAT, and 3D treatment planning computers, Low Dose rate prostate seed implants, and HDR Brachytherapy - some of the most powerful weapons in the battle against cancer. In addition, Christ Hospital has a dedicated 28 bed inpatient unit; and a state-of-the-art infusion center. The center is ACR and ACS accredited.
How is safety ensured?
Patient safety is very important. During treatment the radiation therapist continuously watches the patient through a closed-circuit television monitor. The treatment room is monitored with a microphone so that the patient can speak to the therapist if needed. Port films (x-rays taken with the treatment beam) or other imaging tools are checked regularly to make sure that the beam position doesn't vary from the original plan.
Modern radiation machines have internal checking systems to provide further safety so that the machine will not turn on until all the treatment requirements prescribed by your physician have been verified. When all the checks match and are perfect, the machine will turn on to give your treatment.
Quality control of the linear accelerator is also very important. There are several systems built into the accelerator so that it won't deliver a higher dose than the radiation oncologist prescribed. Each morning before any patients are treated, the radiation therapist performs electronic checks on the machine to ensure that it is working properly using a piece of equipment called a "tracker" to make sure that the radiation intensity is uniform across the beam. In addition, the radiation physicist makes more detailed weekly and monthly checks of the linear accelerator.
It’s no wonder when the editors at US News & World Report compiled their report on America's Best Hospitals, Christ Hospital was the only hospital in Hudson County listed for excellence in Oncology.
For more information on our oncology services, please call: 201.795.8252
How do you score in cancer prevention?
For more information:
Resource Book for Cancer Patients in NJ
Screening information from the National Cancer Institute
Prevention information from the National Cancer Institute
UPCOMING EVENT:
Christ Hospital Offers “Look Good…Feel Better” Program
For Women with Cancer
To help women undergoing cancer treatment, Christ Hospital and the American Cancer Society are offering the “Look Good ... Feel Better” program on Monday, April 12, 2010. The program will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Board Room at Christ Hospital, Jersey City. This program is designed to help women gain control over changes in their physical appearances caused by chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
“Look Good ... Feel Better” teaches women how to apply make-up, choose and
style a wig, and use scarves and turbans. Women who participate in the program will be
given complimentary cosmetic kits, and participate in a demonstration on the care and styling of wigs.
There is no charge to attend the program. Please call (973) 508-5686, or toll-free at
1-800-395-5665 as pre-registration is required no later than Thursday, April 8, 2010.
