One of the most significant advances in cancer care is location for treatments. Patients diagnosed with most common cancers don’t necessarily have to travel to metropolitan healthcare centers to receive treatment these days.

“Whether you are getting chemotherapy or radiation in Chicago, Indianapolis or Franklin, Indiana, the procedures and drugs are the same,” says Dr. Stephen F. Eberwine, Board Certified Medical Hematologist/Oncologist at Johnson Memorial Health.

“The patient receives the same quality of treatment at Johnson Memorial that is provided at a large hospital,” he added.

Dr. Eberwine and the healthcare team at the JMH Cancer Care Center follow the National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® Guidelines for treating their patients. NCCN^® is an alliance of 27 of the world's leading cancer centers working together to develop treatment guidelines for most cancers. They also conduct and coordinate research that improves the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of cancer care.

The NCCN Guidelines^® detail the patient care decisions and treatments that currently apply to 97 percent of cancers affecting patients in the United States. In addition, separate guidelines provide recommendations for some of the key cancer prevention and screening topics as well as support care.

Dr. Eberwine said patients who are treated close to home also benefit from the convenience of travel and easier support from family and friends.

“We also can help patients sooner with their symptoms and side effects from their treatments. We are able to develop relationships and answer their questions along the way,” he added.

The NCCN Guidelines^® are developed and updated by more than 1,150 clinicians and oncology researchers. They include multidisciplinary, disease-specific subspecialists who are clinicians and researchers. Each guideline undergoes annual institutional review where it is circulated for comment among the multidisciplinary faculty at each NCCN Member Institution.

For more information about NCCN Guidlines, contact the Johnson Memorial Cancer Care Center at 317.736.4436.