Supportive Oncology in Greater DeKalb County

Supportive Oncology in Greater DeKalb County

Every person’s journey with cancer is different. That’s why the oncologists and clinical staff at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital Cancer Center and Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital Cancer Center offer many options for your treatment and comfort.

The cancer treatment team coordinates all aspects of your care, working together with clinical specialists throughout the health system to support your well-being. Your individualized treatment plan is complemented by evidence-based medical treatments and other therapies.

Located in DeKalb, Rochelle and Sandwich, our cancer centers provide comprehensive services and comfortable facilities to minimize the time you spend away from home and maximize the positive energy you’ll need during treatment.

Nurse Patient Navigators

Our patient navigators help guide individuals with breast, lung, cervical, and head and neck cancers, including:

• Provide support and education to patients and their families.
• Coordinate appointments for follow-up and referrals, to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment, and assist in eliminating barriers to care.
• Work closely with radiologists and other physicians to provide seamless communication in caring for the patient.

Resource Library

The Resource Center provides a library environment for patients and families to research information about cancer, including resources from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and a computer with access to electronic resources. Visitors to the Resource Center can find information on:

• Cancer types, diagnoses, tests and treatments
• Clinical trials
  

  If you or someone you love is facing cancer, clinical trials may provide an alternative. Northwestern Medicine offers clinical studies right in your community for a wide variety of types and stages of cancer. These research studies are designed to test new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer, as well as to manage symptoms and side effects of the disease.

  Clinical trials have played an important role in the fight against cancer. They are the only scientific way to prove whether a new treatment works better than current treatments. Most of the approaches that doctors use to treat cancer today would never have become available without clinical trials.

  Currently, there are a wide variety of oncology clinical trials available through physicians on the medical staffs of Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital Cancer Center.

• Cancer prevention
• Ways to get involved in the community
• Genetic testing

Oncology Dietitian

Our registered dietitian assists in creating individualized nutrition plans. Nutrition recommendations are based on the patient’s type of cancer, medical history, personal preferences, treatment plan and the presence of side effects.

Oncology Pharmacist

Our board-certified oncology pharmacist collaborates with the healthcare team and reviews all chemotherapy orders to ensure safe and proper dosing. The oncology pharmacist checks for drug interactions, monitors for side effects, and provides recommendations for anti-nausea medications.

All medications are mixed specifically for each patient in the Cancer Center's clean room using the aseptic technique for maximum safety.

Oncology Social Worker

A licensed clinical social worker provides counseling and education, facilitates support groups, links patients to resources in the community, and offers a range of other services to help individuals and families cope with the challenges of cancer.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapists visit new cancer patients to provide education and assess for physical needs related to ROM and lymphedema, and provides survivor education on exercise to combat fatigue.

Other Support Services

The cancer centers offer programs and support for patients, caregivers, survivors and children such as:

• Pain Management Services:
  

  Pain is very personal. Each person has his or her own experience to share, whether the pain is caused by injury, disease, stress, age or other medical conditions. In most situations, one simple solution does not solve the pain issue. Our pain management providers work with patients who have acute, chronic or cancer-related pain to help improve function level with the goal of helping them gain control over the pain.

  Pain management is tailored to meet the individual needs of each patient. It is provided within the cancer centers by a specialty team of anesthesiology pain specialists who are knowledgeable and experienced in the use of multiple pain management modalities, including various injection therapies, implantable pain devices, various topical and oral medications, and both low- and high-dose opioids (narcotics) administered orally, topically, intravenously and in the spinal fluid. The pain management team will be sensitive to your personal experience of pain, and they are knowledgeable and experienced in the incorporation of complementary therapies.

  In addition to scheduled pain care appointments within the cancer centers, pain specialists are available 24 hours a day for emergencies. We are committed to helping you be as comfortable and functional as possible.

• Northwestern Medicine Physical Therapy Sycamore
  
• Behavioral Health Services Counseling & Psychiatry
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Northwestern Medicine Living Well Cancer Resources

Additionally, Living Well Cancer Resources can be a vital component of your treatment and recovery. Living Well Cancer Resources serves as a gathering place, providing comfort and community to anyone experiencing the effects of cancer. The staff works to ensure that you and your family feel less isolated, better informed, more hopeful and empowered to take on the challenge of facing cancer.

For more information on resources offered at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital Cancer Center, please call 815.756.5255.

For more information on resources offered at Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital Cancer Center, please call 815.756.9197.