Treatment

Biomarker testing: a way to look for genes, proteins and other substances (called biomarkers or tumor markers) that can provide information about cancer and help your doctor choose a cancer treatment.

High dose rate brachytherapy: the placement of a small, temporary radiation source into a cancerous area using computer-guided instruments. This technique can often replace weeks of traditional radiation therapy.

Chemotherapy: the use of powerful drugs to stop or slow cancer cell growth. Though these drugs can be given in many ways, including orally, infusion is most common. In an infusion, chemotherapy or other medication is delivered to the bloodstream through a needle in a vein on the arm or through a device known as a “port” in a vein in the chest. A team of nurses specially trained in infusion therapy and oncology staff the Infusion Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital work with you and your physician to ensure your treatments are effective, comfortable and efficient. Learn more about the Infusion Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital.

Hormone therapy: the use of drugs to help starve cancers that rely on hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone or testosterone, to survive and grow.

Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT): conformal radiation treatment guided by imaging, such as MVCT or X-rays, taken on the treatment table just before the patient is given the radiation treatment.

Immunotherapy: the use of a person’s own immune system to help find and attack cancer cells.

Photodynamic therapy: the use of a drug activated by light to kill cancer and other abnormal cells.

Prone breast radiation therapy: a unique approach to treating breast cancer. Advanced Radiation Oncology Services at Montefiore Nyack Hospital is among a select group of centers in New York to offer this therapy.

Prostate seed implantation: a minimally invasive procedure for treating prostate cancer in which radioactive seeds are placed in the prostate gland to target cancer cells while maximizing the preservation of healthy tissue.

Radiation oncology: a specialized method of treating cancer using high-energy radiation in the form of X-rays, gamma rays or charged particles (protons) to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. Advanced Radiation Oncology Services (AROS) physicians at Montefiore Nyack Hospital were the first radiation oncologists in the area to implement the revolutionary TomoTherapy. Leaders in prostate seed implants, AROS physicians were the first in the nation to use stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiosurgery. They’re also highly experienced in the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image guided radiation therapy (IGRT).

Senoview breast treatment: Designed at Montefiore Nyack Hospital, this treatment targets breast cancer while minimizing radiation to healthy tissue and organs.

Stem cell transplant: a procedure that restores stem cells (immature cells found in the bone marrow that can make other blood cells) in people who have had theirs destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Cancer surgery: a procedure in which cancer is removed from your body. Many types of cancer are treated with surgery. Surgery works best for solid tumors that are contained in one area. Board-certified surgeons at Montefiore Nyack Hospital offer patients a range of surgical treatments, from minimally invasive/laparoscopic procedures to hidden-scar surgeries for breast cancer and other complex surgical care.

3-D conformal radiation therapy: a method of treating patients who have tumors that are too close to vital organs and other structures for normal radiation therapy.

Targeted therapy: drugs that work by zeroing in on cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy cells. This therapy stems from research that has yielded new targets within cancer cells that can be attacked with targeted therapy drugs.

Source: National Cancer Institute