Radiation oncologists around the country open their doors to Gulf Coast patients

Many victims of Hurricane Katrina are also cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy treatments. To help patients displaced by the storm, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology is compiling a list of radiation therapy facilities around the country who are willing and able to treat patients who have been evacuated from the area. That list is available by visiting www.astro.org/katrina.htm.

“In order for radiation therapy to be most effective in curing cancer, patients must continue to receive their daily treatments,” said Laura I. Thevenot, Chief Executive Officer of ASTRO. “Missing necessary radiation therapy treatments also adds stress for many people who have endured so much already. I have been heartened by the number of dedicated radiation oncologists who have stepped forward to do what they can to give these patients some peace of mind during this difficult time.”

Radiation therapy works by delivering high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells. Typically, external beam radiation therapy treatments are given every day, Monday through Friday, for four to eight weeks. Giving patients a small amount of radiation every day over several weeks allows radiation oncologists to deliver enough radiation to kill the cancer cells while causing minimal damage to nearby healthy tissue.

Due to the hurricane, many cancer patients who were in the middle of treatment or about to begin treatment have had their care disrupted. However, in order for radiation therapy to be most effective, these patients must continue their radiation therapy treatments. Many radiation oncologists throughout the country have volunteered their time and facilities to ensure that these patients get the life-saving treatments they need.

Getting medical records for these patients will be a challenge. Fortunately, a consortium of providers from the Gulf Coast region have established a call center through the Western Michigan Cancer Center in Kalamazoo, Mich., where displaced oncologists can register. This will allow the new radiation oncologist to talk to the original doctor to ensure that people with cancer continue to receive the proper treatments. That number, 1-800-636-3876, will be staffed daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.