Henry Ford Hospital opens new Center for Cancer Surgery

With more patients seeking cancer treatment – especially surgery – than ever before, Henry Ford Hospital has opened the new Center for Cancer Surgery.

Currently Henry Ford is the largest provider of adult cancer services in Michigan, with more than 14,000 patients treated and 3,000 discharges each year. Cancer patients seek treatment from every state and from every continent.

Pioneering minimally invasive and incisionless cancer surgery, Henry Ford also leads nationally in neurosurgery for brain tumors and robotic surgery for prostate, kidney, gynecological, thoracic, and head and neck cancers, with:

• 7,000 prostate cancer surgeries and 8,000 overall robotics procedures performed since 2000, making Henry Ford No. 1 in the world; 
• More than 700 brain tumor patients treated each year;
• The No. 1 kidney cancer program in the world
• More than 100 transoral robotic surgery cases for head and neck cancers since 2010, among the most performed in the country.

"We designed the Center for Cancer Surgery to focus entirely on the patient – from scheduling a multidisciplinary tumor board evaluation and providing a highly reputable source for patient second opinions," says Henry Ford neurosurgeon Steven N. Kalkanis, M.D., the Center's medical director.  "But more importantly, Henry Ford offers the latest technological advancements as part of a personalized care plan based on genetics and 24/7 support through the entire treatment process."

The Center also includes the state's first Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (iMRI) scanner. The iMRI makes it possible to safely and effectively navigate the brain to remove the maximum amount of tumor tissue, improving patient outcomes. It also is being used for some head and neck cancer cases.

Beyond surgical treatment, the Center specializes in rapid access and customized support for patients, alleviating much of the stress and uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis, through:

• Same-day appointment with a team of cancer experts, to give the patient a complete picture of his or her treatment plan and to alleviate multiple appointments on multiple days.
• Patient advocates, including a personal care coordinator and nurse navigator, who meet with the patient on the first day. The personal care coordinator schedules all of the patient's appointments, while the nurse navigator helps to guide the patient through the entire treatment process.
• Patient concierge services to make hospital visits as worry-free as possible for out-of-town patients and their families. Patient concierge offers transportation information and assistance with parking, escorts to appointment, daily visits during a hospital stay, and assistance with guest housing and recommendations for hotel accommodations
• A 24/7 call line (888-777-4167) that connects patients to specialty cancer nurses who can provide assistance and answer a range of questions related to cancer.
• On-campus housing for out-of-town patients, at the quality and comfort level of a top hotel, but at half the cost.

The Center for Cancer Surgery specializes in complex procedures that cover the entire range of cancer specialties: breast, head and neck, gastroenterology, gynecology, liver, neurosurgery, orthopedics, pancreas, thoracic and urology.

"By focusing on the most advanced, state-of-the-art patient care, the Center is expected to attract complex cancer surgery referrals to Detroit from across the country and around the globe," says Dr. Kalkanis.