|
Offering Coordination of Care for Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors
Monmouth Medical Center has established the first facility in
central and southern New Jersey offering a multidisciplinary approach
for leading-edge treatment of primary and metastatic tumors of
the central nervous system.
The David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center at the Leon Hess Cancer
Center provides a full spectrum of comprehensive services to treat
benign and malignant tumors originating in the brain and spinal
cord, as well as neurological complications of cancer that has
spread to other regions of the body.
Our Multidisciplinary Approach to Personalized Care
Because of the complexity of brain tumors, our patients benefit
from the collaboration and advanced treatment options offered
by a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals.
The team’s members represent a broad range of specialized
fields, including neuro-oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, radiation
oncology, neuroradiology, medical oncology, pathology, psychiatry,
social work, advanced practice nursing, speech therapy and rehabilitation.
These qualified experts work together in close collaboration to
provide patients and their family members with the care they need
in a comfortable and supportive setting.
Since treatment methods and schedules often vary, the team’s
goal is to develop the best course of treatment to help ensure
the best possible outcome. During regular multidisciplinary brain
tumor conferences, members map out the optimal course of treatment
individually tailored for each patient.
Recommendations for treatment are made after thorough review
of the therapeutic options, which can include surgery, radiation
therapy, radiosurgery and chemotherapy. Experimental treatments
and participation in research protocols also
are explored.
[ top ]
The David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center at Monmouth Medical Center
in Long Branch, New Jersey, is dedicated entirely to the treatment
and cure of brain and/or spinal cord tumors in adults. Our vision
is to become the leading Brain Tumor Center in the state of New
Jersey and to become the paradigm institution for which other community
based hospitals can model their program after.
Our mission is to provide the best clinical management and treatment
options for brain tumor patients, and to enhance the quality of
life of patients and their families by addressing their multidimensional
needs, which include physical, social/family, emotional, functional,
cognitive, and spiritual dimensions, through excellence of clinical
management and research programs.
[ top ]
1. Clinical
Management
- To provide
state-of-the-art technologies and treatment options for patients
with tumors of the brain and central nervous system.
2. Clinical
Research Program
- To advance
knowledge and treatment options by participating in clinical
trial research programs.
3. Quality
of Life and Outcome Research Program
- To describe
quality of life and multidimensional needs among patients and
their caregivers.
- To conduct
clinical outcomes studies designed to assess interventional with
potential to improve quality of life and unmet needs among patients
and their caregivers.
4. Education
and Supportive Services
- To educate
the public, professional trainees, and practitioners.
- To formalize
patient advocacy and supportive care programs.
- To provide
the resources and support necessary for patients and their caregivers
to meet the challenges of living with a brain tumor.
[ top ]
The programs under the David S. Zocchi brain tumor center can
be categorized into the following three key components:
- Primary malignant
- Primary benign
- Brain and spine metastases
[ top ]
Monmouth Medical Center has committed and is capable of offering
the individualized state-of-the art diagnostic and treatment program
through the entire disease trajectory, which include:
- Initial
diagnostic and staging work-up
- Pathology department
- Neuroradiology services
- Multidisciplinary
clinical treatment program
- Intracranial and
extracranial (spine) steriotatic radiosurgery program (SRS)
delivered by Tomotherapy
- External bean whole
brain radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Neuro surgery
- Multidimensional
supportive service
- Neuropsychiatric
evaluation service
- Physical therapy
and rehabilitation - in conjunction with Healthsouth
- Cognitive rehabilitation
program – in conjunction with Healthsouth
- Social work service
- Palliative care program
- Chaplin service
- Support group
- Patient
support group – in conjunction with Monmouth Ocean
Brain tumor Support Group
- Caregiver
support group
[ top ]
Listed below is the summary of our key achievements since the
establishment of David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center in January,
2006:
| 1/2006 |
Sumul N. Raval. MD joined MMC and established the neuro-oncology
program |
| 2/2006 |
Established David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center through the
support of Judy Zocchi |
| 5/2006 |
Initiation of monthly multidisciplianty tumor board |
| 8/2006 |
Part time brain tumor center APN coordinator was hired |
| 8/2006 |
Established Neuro-Oncology database for second-line chemotherapy |
| 11/2006 |
Dr. Raval presented his first abstract in the Society of
Neuro-Oncology (SNO) national meeting |
| 5/2007 |
Dr. Raval presented the updated abstract in the American
Society of Clinical Oncology National Meeting |
| 10/2007 |
Grand opening of David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center |
For more information about the David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center, call 1-877-577-9800.
[ top ] |
