If you’ve been told that you have cancer, you may be experiencing strong emotions including anxiety, fear, sorrow, or anger. Fighting cancer may be one of the toughest challenges you will encounter, but you don’t have to face it alone. We provide many resources for patients and their families so that they can take an active role in their own treatment and recovery. These resources include informational brochures and flyers, certain video and lecture presentations, and a fully staffed Psycho-social Services Department to support emotional and spiritual needs.

At the Cancer Center, we work with each and every patient to develop an understanding of the doctor’s recommendations and their treatment options. Every new patient receives a personalized binder which contains complete information about our center. In addition, as your treatment plan is developed, you may use the binder to include written materials we provide such as instructional material about your medications and your schedule. Although the volume of information may seem overwhelming at first, the binder helps organize information for your use and your family’s reference, and it assists your nurses at your visits to our center. Please bring it with you to all treatment appointments.

We effectively treat all types of cancer at our center, however, due to the higher volume of breast cancer and prostate cancer patients seen at our center, we have developed the following tools for support. If you have been recently diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer, click on the appropriate link below for additional information on your treatment options.

• Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer?
• Newly Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer?
• Newly Diagnosed with Gynecologic Cancer?
  

Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is also one of the most commonly treated cancers at our center. Breast cancer is a complex disease that can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Many thousands of women have been treated successfully and have gone on to lead normal, productive, healthy lives.

We believe in a comprehensive, integrated approach to breast cancer care, education and support. We want you to have access to all the information you need, and adequate time to ask questions, explore options, and participate in your treatment and recovery.

If you are newly diagnosed with breast cancer, you and your doctor will receive the benefits of a Pre-treatment Team Conference at our center to determine the most effective course of treatment for your cancer. At this weekly conference, the anonymous cases of all our newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, whether male or female, are presented to our panel. All pertinent material is reviewed by a multidisciplinary consensus panel for evaluation and treatment recommendations for each case. Panel members include surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and representatives of nursing, the research department and of social services. The panel discusses your detailed patient history, diagnostic radiological and pathologic findings, and all surgical procedures. In the end, a conference report with treatment recommendations is compiled and sent to all physicians involved in your care. Although this is a thorough review by a wide variety of specialists, the ultimate treatment decisions are made by you and your physician using this report as appropriate.

Breast Cancer Notebook for Newly Diagnosed Women
View the Breast Cancer Notebook - Sutter Health Website
The information in this notebook was developed by cancer specialists and educators from Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and others throughout the Sutter Health family. The notebook represents our combined and in depth experience of caring for thousands of women with breast cancer across Northern California. The more you know about breast cancer and your treatment options, the better prepared you will be to make informed decisions that are right for you.

We encourage you to use the notebook as a place to organize your thoughts and record questions to discuss with your health care team. We hope the notebook helps you through your journey.

MammoSite® radiation therapy system: Click and scroll down for information about a radiation therapy system that you may wish to discuss with your doctor.

Video: Breast Cancer Treatment Options
A Video for Women Newly Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
The purpose of this video is to guide you through the stages of evaluation of this disease, describe factors that affect prognosis, and discuss various treatments which may be appropriate for you. We don’t endorse or recommend one course of treatment over another, but rather provide this information to help you understand your options before you consult with your doctors about your treatment plan. Please note: Viewing this video works best over a high speed internet connection. If you’d prefer to receive a DVD copy, please call our office at (510) 204-1591.

VIDEO: Overview
VIDEO: How the Disease Spreads
VIDEO: Determining the Disease Factors
VIDEO: Determining the Stage of Your Disease
VIDEO: Chemotherapy and Hormonal Therapy
VIDEO: Radiation Therapy
VIDEO: Brachytherapy
VIDEO: Patient Perspectives
VIDEO: Next Steps

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Newly Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men in the United States and is the second leading cause of death from cancer in men. A diagnosis of prostate cancer can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Thousands of men have been treated successfully and have gone on to lead normal, productive, healthy lives.

If the cancer is confined to the prostate and you are otherwise healthy, surgical removal of the prostate gland may be your treatment of choice. The board certified urologists at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center have performed hundreds of these procedures, using the latest techniques to preserve sexual potency and continence.

As with any cancer, there are treatment options based on your individual situation. We want to be sure that you have access to all the information you need to make informed decisions about your treatment, have adequate time to ask questions, explore options, and participate in your treatment and recovery. We have prepared an informative video on prostate cancer and its treatment options as well.

Prostate Cancer: Permanent prostate seed implants: Click and scroll down to read a description of a radiation therapy system that you may wish to discuss with your doctor.

Video: Prostate Cancer Treatment Options
A Video for Men Recently Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
The purpose of this video is to guide you through the stages of the disease, describe factors that affect prognosis, and discuss various treatments that may be appropriate for you. We don’t endorse or recommend one course of treatment over another, but rather provide this information to help you understand your options before you consult with your doctors about your treatment plan. Please note that viewing this video online works best over a high speed Internet connection. If you’d prefer to receive a DVD copy, please call our office at (510) 204-1591.

VIDEO: Introduction to Prostate Cancer – Anatomical Considerations
VIDEO: Anatomy and Patterns of Spread
VIDEO: Predictors of Aggressiveness – PSA levels
VIDEO: Predictors of Aggressiveness – Gleason’s score
VIDEO: Predictors of Aggressiveness – Stage of the disease
VIDEO: Treatment Options, Part I
VIDEO: Treatment Options, Part II
VIDEO: The Next Step

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Newly Diagnosed with Gynecologic Cancer?

Gynecologic cancers include cancers of the uterus, cervix, vagina, ovary, fallopian tube, vulva, endometrial. Due to the varied nature of these diseases, some of which are rare, a specialized interdisciplinary treatment plan is required.

At Alta Bates Summit Comprehensive Cancer Center, we believe the more you understand about your treatment options, the more confident you will feel about your decisions. Learn more about gynecologic cancer.

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