Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert has expanded its radiation oncology program, bringing new treatment expertise to patients at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale and Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, which also provides pediatric care at Banner Children’s at Cardon Children’s Medical Center. This began on Jan. 1.
The program integrates the clinical services of radiation oncology programs at these hospitals with Banner MD Anderson, including The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s world-renowned approach to cancer care and access to subspecialty experts in both Gilbert and Houston. Patients at these two locations will also have access to many of the programs and services offered at the comprehensive cancer center in Gilbert.
“This expansion will allow us to provide radiation treatment close to where patients live, work collaboratively with physicians in these communities, and bring the same high-quality cancer treatment that has made Banner MD Anderson so widely respected,” said Dr. Edgardo Rivera, medical director of Banner MD Anderson.
These campuses have been providing radiation oncology care for many years, including electron beam treatment, image-guided radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiotherapy, brachytherapy, and 3D conformal treatment, which allows radiation therapy beams to be shaped exactly to the size of a tumor. One intent of this expansion is to enhance and build upon these existing programs.
New physicians will join both campuses, bringing radiation treatment expertise backed by residency training at MD Anderson. Physicians and staff at the hospitals will also have a direct link to radiation oncologists and subspecialty physicians at Banner MD Anderson.
Approximately half of all cancer patients require radiation therapy as part of their treatment. This incredibly precise method of delivering regulated doses of high-energy radiation may be a patient’s only course of treatment. It may also be used with chemotherapy and/or as a complement to surgery.
The highly coordinated radiation oncology team at Banner MD Anderson consists of board-certified physicians specially trained in radiation oncology, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists and nurses. Together, they provide the customized treatment plans using the latest medical equipment in conjunction with the world-renowned protocols of MD Anderson.
To schedule an evaluation for radiation treatment at Banner Desert and Cardon Children’s Medical Centers, call 480-412-3808.
To schedule a radiation treatment evaluation at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, call 602-865-5445.
Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center at U.S. 60 and Higley Road delivers cancer care to patients in Arizona through the collaboration of Banner Health and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Radiation therapy is also provided at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale and Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. Banner MD Anderson offers focused disease-specific expertise in the medical, radiation and surgical management of the cancer patient; an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to patient care; access to clinical trials and new investigative therapies; state-of-the-art technology for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of all types of cancer; oncology expertise in supportive care services.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For 10 of the past 12 years, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in “America’s Best Hospitals,” a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.
