Cancer Research

Six cancer centers within Catholic Health Initiatives are part of the National Cancer Institute’s National Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP).

NCCCP is a network of hospital cancer centers that are located in community hospitals. The network expands the availability of the latest clinical trials and treatments from major academic medical centers to community hospitals, where 85% of cancer patients receive their cancer diagnoses and their care.

Watch a brief video about the NCCCP.

Participating in the NCCCP enables more patients across CHI to:

• Participate in research. CHI can expand the types of clinical trials available to our patients, including early-phase studies that provide access to the newest pharmaceutical treatments. The NCCCP also provides support for clinical management of the studies. An outreach program focuses on educating and screening patients who may qualify for a clinical trial. 
• Gain a Nurse Navigator. Cancer care is often fragmented among locations and specialists.  Nurse navigators help patients coordinate appointments and make decisions about their treatment. A nurse navigator is a consistent point of contact for a patient and can ensure that everything stays on track: for example, that tests are conducted in the appropriate order.

Watch a nurse navigator talk about  what she does at St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson.

• Receive multi-disciplinary care. Providers involved in a patient’s treatment – for example, a surgeon, radiation and medical oncologist and other involved physicians – collaborate on a treatment plan, taking into account the type of cancer and the needs and preferences of the patient. This collaboration also ensures that each patient benefits from proven, evidence-based guidelines for treatment
• Benefit from tissue collection and biobanking. CHI hospitals follow standard protocol for the collection and handling of tissue, which is examined for molecular markers that determine the correct protocols for treatment based on tumor type. We also collect normal and cancerous tissue for the Cancer Genome Atlas project, which is part of the National Cancer Institute’s study to map all genetic mutations for each type of cancer.
• Join Cancer Survivor Programs. Cancer survivors may experience physical and psychosocial issues, such as “cancer fatigue,” long-term symptoms, treatment side effects or residual pain. Cancer survivor programs provide information and services that help support patients and their primary care physicians as the patients move from treatment to survivorship. Patients and their physicians receive treatment summaries and care plans; patients receive psychosocial screening and may receive referrals for additional care.

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