ANDERSON FAMILY CANCER INSTITUTE
Creation of a leading-edge cancer resource that our community needs and
deserves has been a central component of our strategic plan. Open in March
2020, the Anderson Family Cancer Institute provides convenient access
to multidisciplinary, evidence-based care such as that found in the nation’s
most prestigious health care institutions.
Accredited as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program by the Commission
on Cancer, our physicians diagnose, evaluate and develop personalized
treatment plans for patients with known or suspected cancers. Our cancer
specialists work collaboratively within the community, and with top academic
cancer institutions throughout the United States to evaluate each patient’s
diagnosis and to develop personalized treatment plans.
Jupiter Medical Center is also the only hospital in the region to have
an affiliation with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University
of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, a part of the University
of Miami Health System. Sylvester is South Florida’s only National
Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center. The affiliation provides
seamless access for patients with certain rare cancers to subspecialists
and specialized treatments such as bone marrow transplants and CAR T-cell
immunotherapy, available only at Sylvester.
FOSHAY RADIATION ONCOLOGY CENTER
Under the guidance of Dr. Nathan Tennyson, Medical Director, Radiation
Oncology and Dr. Raj Rajpara, Radiation Oncology; Jupiter Medical Center’s
radiation oncology program is committed to providing the most advanced
care to its patients in a caring and supportive environment. Jupiter Medical
Center was the first in Florida, and still is one of only a handful of
hospitals in Florida offering the next generation of radiosurgery: the
CyberKnife® M6™; the most advanced and accurate CyberKnife system in use today. It is
a nonsurgical, pain-free treatment option for many patients who have inoperable
or surgically complex cancerous and noncancerous tumors anywhere in the
body, including the head, spine, lung, prostate, liver and pancreas, or
who may be looking for an alternative to surgery.
To provide patients the optimum in treatment experiences and outcomes,
Jupiter Medical Center is also among the very few U.S. cancer centers to offer
Electron Beam IntraOperative Radiation Therapy (e-IORT), dramatically reducing the number of radiation treatments needed for breast,
gynecological, colorectal, lung and gastrointestinal cancers. e-IORT delivers
a fraction of radiation compared to the traditional six- or seven-week
course to a tumor or tumor bed during surgery using a linear accelerator.
For many patients, receiving radiation to the tumor in the operating room
immediately after the cancerous tissue is removed, enables them—in
most cases—to complete their treatment in just a single day, and
avoid weeks of post-operative radiation.
The Anderson Family Cancer Institute houses a new, state-of-the-art
TrueBeam® radiotherapy system—the most advanced medical linear accelerator. It customizes high-energy
X-rays or electrons to conform to a tumor’s shape, and destroys
cancer cells while sparing normal surrounding tissue. TrueBeam treats
cancer anywhere in the body by delivering highly precise doses of radiation,
and offering clinicians intelligent tools for a wide spectrum of advanced
treatment modalities, giving them the confidence to know treatments are
delivered exactly as planned.
HEPATOBILIARY AND PANCREATIC CANCER PROGRAM
Our Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Cancer Program serves patients with liver
and pancreatic diseases, including disorders of the liver, bile ducts,
gallbladder and pancreas. Surgical procedures for these diseases are usually
advanced and complicated. Special training and skill are required to ensure
the best possible outcomes for patients. This program takes a multidisciplinary
approach and includes the latest technological advancements. The recruitment
of Dr. Shanel Bhagwandin, Medical Director for the Gastrointestinal Surgical
Oncology Program, has spotlighted the use of the most recent advances
in technology to diagnose and treat benign conditions and cancers. He
is one of the few in his field that performs the Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal
Chemotherapy (HIPEC) procedure at Jupiter Medical Center for patients
with cancer that has spread to various areas in the abdomen. Before HIPEC
is administered, the surgeon, using standard surgical methods, will remove
all visible tumors that can be removed throughout the peritoneal cavity.
This is known as cytoreductive surgery. Following cytoreductive surgery,
while still in the operative setting, the surgeon will administer the
HIPEC treatment. Jupiter Medical Center is the first medical center on
the east coast of Florida, and the only one in Palm Beach County, to use
the HIPEC procedure to treat and potentially save the lives of patients
with stage 4 cancers.
WOMEN’S LUNG HEALTH PROGRAM
Despite the fact that more and more women in the United States are affected
by lung disease, women frequently do not receive the appropriate care.
The Women’s Lung Health Program at Jupiter Medical Center is a unique
resource dedicated to the care of female patients with lung disease.
Women’s lung health is a focus for many reasons: Women have a higher
rate of asthma than men; in the United States women with COPD outnumber
men, and the incidence of lung cancer in women continues to increase while
declining in men. More women die from lung cancer than breast cancer—and
two thirds of them never smoked.
Studies have shown that women with lung disease are less likely to receive
appropriate medical tests, such as pulmonary function testing. Women with
COPD are more likely to be misdiagnosed as having asthma. And women are
less likely to receive referrals to specialists who thoroughly understand
their diseases. Developed in conjunction with the Thoracic Surgery &
Lung Center of Excellence, the Women’s Lung Health Program is designed
to optimize care across their lifespan for women with lung conditions
and diseases.
EXPANDED GENETIC TESTING
Under the guidance of doctors Orna Hadar, Amy Argus, and Dr. Lila Saidian,
Breast Imaging Specialists at the Margaret W. Niedland Breast Center;
and Genetics Counselor, Constance "Connie" Murphy, ARNP, Jupiter
Medical Center has expanded its existing genetics screening into a comprehensive
Genetics Screening Clinic to support current recommendations by the American
College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging. This clinic is
the first of its kind in the United States, changing the way physicians
diagnose cancer in younger patients. It also serves as a valuable care
resource to the primary care physician community that is often unsure
when to recommend these important screenings to patients, and have limited
knowledge on advising patients on where to have it done and how to have
it covered by insurance.
Patients work with a genetics counselor at Jupiter Medical Center, identifying
areas of possible risk. Those identified as what we call “previvors,”
meaning they’re at increased risk due to their genes, will receive
additional assistance from a medical specialist, as well as wellness support
and counseling.
CLINICAL RESEARCH
Clinical research is another integral component to our multidisciplinary
approach. Clinical trials are one of the most important weapons in the
continuing fight against disease and in the advancement of medicine. These
studies may offer patients the opportunity to receive new or potentially
more effective therapies, as well as state-of-the-art approaches to treatment.
Jupiter Medical Center participates in clinical studies and affiliates
with national research organizations to deliver clinical trials to our
local community. Our affiliations allow access to National Cancer Institute-sponsored
clinical trials. Patients have access to research that addresses many
aspects of cancer care, including new forms of treatment, methods of prevention,
ways of screening for cancer, and ways to improve comfort and quality
of life for cancer patients. Jupiter Medical Center also participates
in trials addressing general medicine, surgical outcomes and biosciences.
MEETING THE CHALLENGES
To meet the needs of the region, Jupiter Medical Center’s Comprehensive
Cancer Program will have the ability to fully serve patients from diagnosis
through treatment. Additional, philanthropic support is essential to fully
realize Jupiter Medical Center’s evolution from a high-quality community
hospital to a world class regional resource, while maintaining our strong
community orientation and independence.