Cancer Care

If you need expert cancer care, you don’t have to look far. MyOchsner connects you to specialists across Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast from the comfort of your home, and Ochsner has cancer centers throughout the region. Find a location near you.

Whether you need one treatment or a combination of therapies, Ochsner has what you need. Available cancer treatments include:

• Bone marrow transplant/stem cell transplant. This type of treatment for leukemia, multiple myeloma and other cancers replaces your damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy stem cells that help your body produce new cells. The transplanted bone marrow may come from your own cells or donor cells.

• CAR T-cell therapy. With this form of targeted therapy available at Ochsner, our providers modify immune cells (T-cells) from your body to attach to a specific cancer cell. Once reintroduced to your body, they seek, attach to and destroy cancerous cells.

• Chemotherapy. Special medication, delivered through an IV, pill or other form, kills cancerous cells. Depending on your cancer, you receive one or more chemotherapy medications. Treatment sessions may take place over the course of a few months.

• Radiation therapy. High-dose radiation is targeted to destroy cancer cells. Today’s radiation therapy technology provides a more precise delivery of the radiation, leading to better outcomes and fewer side effects.

• Surgery. Removing the diseased area is often part of cancer care. Sometimes, surgery is the only intervention you need. Ochsner’s surgical oncologists pioneered minimally invasive techniques, including robotic surgery. Our team of experts perform complex procedures with excellent outcomes, and we are recognized nationally for our results and innovations.

Targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Targeted therapy can attack specific signals on cancer cells, such as hormone production or blood flow, to stop cancer growth. Immunotherapy harnesses the power of your immune system to find and destroy cancerous cells.

Cancer doesn’t always respond to standard treatments, and the options to treat cancer continually evolve. This evolution of treatment protocols in medical, surgical and radiation oncology has led to improved cancer survival rates across the country. Clinical trials are an essential component of contemporary cancer care. With our dedication to innovation and delivering more good days, a wide range of clinical trials are available at Ochsner to provide new hope to people with cancer searching for effective treatment. These trials open the door to potential cures and shape the future of medicine.

For many years, Ochsner has been a leading participant in the National Cancer Institute’s Community Oncology Research Program, which connects patients in our region to promising but established clinical trials that focus on both treatment and supportive interventions. These late phase trials constitute the final stages of approval for new drugs or interventions. Because we are dedicated to improving the lives of all patients in our region, these trials are available to all patients, making Ochsner a national leader in clinical trial participation by historically under-represented populations.

What sets Ochsner apart is our Precision Cancer Therapies Program, a phase 1 clinical trials program that makes Ochsner the only center between Houston, Texas, and Birmingham, Alabama with this capability.

Phase 1 trials study the most leading-edge therapy applications and determine the safety, dosage, timing and side effects for new treatments. Phase 1 trials also test whether older medications can serve new purposes. Before you enroll in phase 1 trials, your care team studies the genetic profile of your cancer. This helps them know whether you’re likely to benefit from the study.

Additionally, Ochsner participates in large clinical trials of new therapies in the final stages of approval. To help as many people as possible, we make these trials available to all.

The best cancer care requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary team approach. That’s exactly what we offer at Ochsner. Here, your care team consists of physicians, nurses, and other skilled providers and support staff. Members of your team may include:

• Acupuncturists to ease cancer- and treatment-related symptoms by using tiny needles to stimulate pressure points across the body

• Advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician associates) to support you and your team

• Cancer rehabilitation physical therapists to increase your physical strength during treatment

• Financial coordinators to help you understand insurance coverage and access financial help

• Medical oncologists to oversee chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy and coordinate your cancer care

• Oncology nurse navigators to guide you through your healthcare journey, answering questions along the way

• Oncology social workers to provide financial and emotional support and connect you to needed resources

• Palliative care providers to help you deal with stress, medication and other quality-of-life issues

• Pharmacists to manage cancer symptoms and treatment side effects

• Radiation oncologists to plan radiation therapy

• Registered dietitian to ensure you maintain good nutrition throughout treatment

• Research coordinators to oversee your progress if you’re participating in a clinical trial

• Surgical oncologists to remove cancerous tumors and address side effects of treatment

Every cancer journey is unique. To serve our patients’ individual needs, we have a wide range of support services, including:

• Chemotherapy Care Companion. This smartphone app monitors your health when undergoing chemotherapy or immunotherapy. At home or on the go, you enter your blood pressure, weight and temperature on a regular basis. If one of your numbers goes outside of the expected range, your care team takes action.

• Education classes. A range of classes help you understand your journey better. Learn about healthy living during and after cancer treatment, what to expect from various treatment options and more.

• Smoking cessation services. In partnership with the Smoking Cessation Trust, we provide free counseling to help you quit smoking for good.

• Support groups. Each session begins with a guest speaker who covers relevant topics, followed by a group discussion.

Video and audio insight. Ochsner produces various podcasts and videos aimed at improving your health. All in Against Cancer Podcast and Healthy State of Mind are just a couple you should check out.

Here are a few awards we’ve received recently thanks to our commitment to excellence.