Cancer Care

You will have contact with many professionals who specialize in cancer care through the cancer program at St. Elizabeth. We place a strong emphasis on the team approach and professionals from many disciplines will work closely together on your behalf.

The qualified members of our health care team include:

Board-Certified Radiation and Medical Oncologists, Gynecologic Oncology Surgeons and Neurological Oncologists are physicians who specialize in the care of cancer patients. These cancer specialists will work with your family physician, other specialists, and an entire team of experts to establish and coordinate the best plan of care for you while you are a patient in our center. After your treatments have completed, they will continue to follow you closely, along with your family physician, to monitor your ongoing progress.

Certified Oncology Nurses are experienced and skillful professionals who perform assessments, administer chemotherapy, blood products, medications and IV fluids, follow through on physician orders, assist physicians in procedures, provide patient education, and offer guidance and support throughout treatment. The oncology nurse can help you understand your disease process, cancer treatments and any medical or surgical procedures you require. Your nurse will be an excellent resource if you need information or you experience problems during your treatment. 

Registered Radiation Therapists are medical professionals who deliver radiation treatments using sophisticated, high-energy linear accelerators. The therapists observe clinical progress during radiation therapy, monitor reaction to treatments and watch for complications. They perform calculations and keep detailed records of the treatments administered. If radiation is part of your treatment regimen, the radiation therapists will be another important source of support to you. Be sure to let your therapist know if you are experiencing any discomfort or if you have additional questions.

Oncology Social Workers are available to provide ongoing supportive counseling to you, your family, and significant others. Your oncology social worker can help you cope with emotional issues surrounding the disease including your self-image, feelings of loss, changing roles, relationships, and lifestyles. They provide referrals to community agencies and support groups as needed and they have access to a wide array of programs to help you with some of the financial burdens associated with treatment.

Medical Physicists and Dosimetrists play an important role with all patients who are undergoing radiation treatment. Using state-of-the-art three-dimensional computer treatment planning, they work closely with the radiation oncologist to calculate the exact radiation dose distribution for cancer patients receiving complex external radiation, brachytherapy, or internal radioactive sources. In addition to treatment planning, the medical physicist and dosimetrist are responsible for accurate measurement of radiation output from radiation sources employed in cancer therapy and for assuring the amount of radiation exposure to staff are below the acceptable level.

Cancer Registry
St. Elizabeth Healthcare is dedicated to serving the needs of our cancer patients and families. Cancer research plays a very important role in meeting those needs. By following the progress of cancer patients, researchers can make ongoing improvements in cancer treatment and survival. This important medical information is collected and entered into a computerized program by certified oncology data specialists and kept in the cancer registry department. The information can later be trended locally, regionally and nationally to monitor our progress in cancer care.

Cancer is a reportable disease and the cancer registry is responsible for reporting all cancer cases diagnosed or treated at St. Elizabeth Healthcare since the year 2000. This expanded database monitors the incidence of various types of cancers in Kentucky and determines the true impact of cancer on our communities at large.

Each year, a member of our cancer registry staff may contact you or your physician to update your progress. In cooperation with your physician, we will continue to record follow-up examinations and any further treatment during your lifetime. The information you and your physician provide is strictly confidential, and is made available only in an unidentifiable format to parties involved in bettering services and quality of care in our community. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Any questions may be directed to the St. Elizabeth Cancer Registry at (859) 301-2436.

Pastoral Care is available to offer you and your loved ones the opportunity for spiritual and emotional growth at this difficult time in your lives.

Additional Supportive Services include pharmacists, laboratory technicians, dieticians, physical therapists, speech therapists, individuals skilled in holistic therapies, and home care/hospice services.