Treatment Approach

Our priority is to better serve patients with complex medical needs. UM/Sylvester physicians apply a targeted, "site-based" approach to treating cancer. This means that dedicated, board-certified doctors with expertise researching and treating specific cancer sites will oversee your care. More simply, our doctors focus their attention on the actual "site" on the body where the cancer starts. For example, the site disease group specializing in gynecologic cancers would treat ovarian cancer. With this unique approach, you will receive care from doctors who are not only cancer specialists, but specialists in a particular type of cancer.

Each site disease group includes medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, and other essential health care professionals such as social workers, pharmacists, and allied staff. In addition, each group has a nurse coordinator or patient care coordinator to serve as a liaison between doctors, patients, and families. A data manager and research nurse help screen patients for clinical trials. Site disease groups help translate research breakthroughs into more effective treatment.

The site-based approach ensures that you have access not only to medical expertise for diagnosis and treatment, but also to services such as education, advocacy, mental heath counseling, occupational and rehabilitative therapy, social services, nutritional guidance, and symptom management that can positively impact your overall experience with the disease.

At UM/Sylvester, we are organized into 15 multidisciplinary site disease groups, including:

To learn more, simply click on the specific type of cancer you are interested in below.