Cancer Treatment Center
Physician Information
Coordinated Treatment Services
Coordinated Education and Support Services
Continuum of Care

The majority of cancer patients today receive more than one type of cancer treatment. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are often used in combination. At the Cancer Treatment Center, radiation oncology and medical oncology (chemotherapy) are coordinated for the most part with other care providers in the area. Our patients are given the appropriate tools to help them make informed decisions. Educational and support services help to assure comprehensive, personalized care. Your physicians, nurses and other team members are readily available to explain treatment methods and answer any concerns or questions you may have.

Treatment at the Covenant Cancer Treatment Center hinges on meeting the particular needs of its patients. We are sensitive to the fact that people are enduring different diagnoses and therefore need to be treated individually and at their own rate of recovery.Our staff is available to answer questions about your treatment as we feel strongly that you understand why you are undergoing a particular treatment regimen.

Medical Oncology
All chemotherapy given at the treatment center is on an outpatient basis in a pleasant environment featuring expansive windows and televisions. There is also adequate space for your friends and loved ones to visit with you to add to your comfort. In addition to your physician, our full-time staff of medical laboratory technicians and registered nurses, trained in chemotherapy, are available for care, emotional support and patient education in all stages of the disease process. Laboratory services such as blood chemistry profiles, complete blood counts and oncology liver profiles are done on-site.

Patients receive chemotherapy, maintenance, and regular follow-ups as outpatients. Patients needing both radiation therapy and chemotherapy receive both therapies at the Cancer Treatment Center through a coordinated team effort.

Radiation Oncology
Recognizing cancer affects one in every three families, Covenant’s Cancer Treatment Center is proud to announce the addition of significant new radiation technologies, such as the newly installed linear accelerator and radiation oncology treatment planning system, that will improve our efforts in treating cancer.

Computerized planning determines the exact radiation dosage from X-rays and CT scans, and a dress rehearsal on the Center’s radiotherapy X-ray simulator ensures that the radiation dose is precisely directed to the tumor during actual treatment. The Center’s advanced equipment provides accurate treatment while minimizing side effects.

Treatment Options through Cancer Research
Patients can access the latest cancer treatments and new therapeutic drugs not generally available to the public through the clinical trial cancer research program conducted at the Center. The research studies are in affiliation with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and the national cooperative oncology group, the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB).

Phase II and III trials offer patients, who meet certain criteria an opportunity to participate in the use of new treatment and medication, which have the potential of improved results. All treatment is done under strict guidelines established by the CALGB and a local Institutional Review Board, with informed consent from the patient. Protocol treatments have included malignant lymphomas and cancers of the head and neck, breast, colon and lung.

PET/CT The Latest in Diagnostic Testing - AVAILABLE AT THE CANCER TREATMENT CENTER
PET (Positron Emission Testing) is the most widely used application in the detection of cancer. PET is an innovative, whole-body, metabolic imaging tool used to show abnormalities within the body. Metabolic change is one of the first indications of disease in the human body. A PET scan can detect early metabolic changes, monitor response to treatment, and eliminate the need for costly redundant testing or invasive surgical procedures. Metabolism cannot be obtained with CT, MRI or conventional X-ray. PET’s high sensitivity and specificity for some malignant cancer gives PET advantages over diagnostic imaging. The high diagnostic accuracy of PET has altered patient staging and treatment management in up to 40 percent or more cases, resulting in patients receiving better treatment options and improved outcomes. CT is a X-ray procedure that can image high resolution tomographic images of the bodies organs.  By combining PET and CT images, physicians are able to see the structure of the organs as well as where tumors are located.

Cancer Registry
The Cancer Registry is committed to collecting and providing information to enhance and improve cancer patient care at Covenant Medical Center. The registry maintains a complete database for all cancers diagnosed and/or treated at Covenant Medical Center. Data collection is a shared service with the State Health Registry of Iowa (SHRI) and Covenant Medical Center. The SHRI assists with data collection provide quality management, continuing education, and follow-up of cancer patients.

Institutional Review Board
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) meets quarterly to review all protocols/clinical trials brought to them by investigating physicians for approval.

Tumor Board Conferences
Tumor Board conferences are held once a week at Covenant Medical Center. A physician moderates the conferences, which are attended by physicians and other health care professionals. The weekly tumor board conferences provide a major avenue to develop effective multidisciplinary approaches to cancer care at Covenant Medical Center. The Tumor Board honors the best medical traditions for sharing meaningful information to colleagues about challenging cases, and for stimulating discussion for how to best manage patients.