Cancer Treatments

During cancer surgery, our experts remove cancerous tissue and tumors. We may also remove some healthy tissue near the cancer's location (margin) to help ensure the cancer hasn't spread.

In traditional (open) surgery, experts make larger incisions to remove cancer. In minimally invasive surgeries, surgeons use sophisticated tools and equipment to make the smallest incisions possible.

Our doctors are experts in all cancer surgery types, including:

DaVinci® robotic surgery

Our surgeons sit at a computerized console and use controls to perform surgery with tiny instruments. In robot-assisted surgery, incisions are tiny, which helps you heal faster. We may use this surgery in treating prostate cancer and other cancers.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a special chemotherapy given immediately after surgery for abdominal cancers such as:

• Colorectal cancer
• Gynecologic cancer (ovarian)
• Stomach cancer

Specialists use a machine to deliver heated chemotherapy drugs into the abdomen through tubes (catheters). After treatment is complete, doctors flush the abdomen with saline solution and remove the catheters.

HIPEC helps destroy any tiny cancer cells left behind after surgery. Chemotherapy goes directly into the abdomen, reducing potential side effects.

TransOral robotic surgery

Surgeons use the daVinci robotic surgery system to remove tumors of the throat, tongue and voicebox (larynx). Smaller incisions help ensure faster healing and quicker return of swallowing and speech functions after head and neck cancer.

Cancer specialists at Sentara can deliver tumor-reducing treatments and then temporarily block the blood supply normally flowing to the area near your tumor. Their goal is to shrink the tumor and slow growth.

Chemoembolization: Cancer specialists at Sentara can deliver tumor-reducing treatments and then temporarily block the blood supply normally flowing to the area near your tumor. Their goal is to shrink the tumor and slow growth.

Cryotherapy: Our doctors use cryotherapy to freeze cancer and destroy damaged tissue with liquid nitrogen. Specialists treat certain types of skin cancer by applying liquid nitrogen to cancer cells on the skin. Sometimes, experts use cryotherapy to treat cancer inside the body. Using imaging techniques and a hollow instrument (cryoprobe), surgeons apply liquid nitrogen directly to the tumor to kill cancer cells.

Microwave ablation: We deliver this minimally invasive, thermal energy treatment directly to tumors using live ultrasound, CT and MRI images. The tiny ablation antennas we place in the tumor work to treat your cancer site and surrounding tissue.

Radiofrequency ablation: Radiofrequency ablation treatments use heat from electrical energy. We use images to gently insert a needle near the cancer site and heat the tissue to treat surrounding cancer cells.

Radiation therapies use different types of energy to destroy cancer cells. Our radiation oncologists use these therapies for many cancers we treat. We offer:

Brachytherapy

Doctors place radioactive pellets (seeds) inside the body near cancer's location to deliver a steady dose of radiation. These pellets may stay in place for up to a week (low-dose implants) or up to 20 minutes (high-dose implants). We use brachytherapy to treat gynecologic, breast, skin and prostate cancer.

External beam radiation therapy

SSpecialists deliver high-energy X-rays to reach cancer in body. We aim these radiation beams directly at the affected tissue so radiation can destroy cancer cells. Treatments typically last 15-30 minutes and are delivered daily Monday-Friday for 1-6 weeks depending on the cancer type.

Intraoperative radiation therapy

We use intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) to deliver radiation immediately after surgery to remove cancer. This single-dose treatment, done before the surgeon closes the incision, helps destroy any cancer cells left behind after tumor removal.

Radioisotopes

There are several radioisotopes that can be utilized in the treatment of cancer. Sentara offers variety of options at our centers to treat cancers such as neuroendocrine, thyroid and prostate bone metastases.

SIR-Spheres® and TheraSphere™

In this single-dose treatment, our specialists use radioactive beads (microspheres) to deliver high doses of radiation inside the body. These beads destroy cancer cells while protecting nearby healthy tissue. We use these tools to treat liver cancer that we can't treat with surgery.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy

Experts use stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to send image-guided high doses of radiation to cancer cells. We use this technique to deliver precise doses of radiation that spare healthy tissue. Treatments are daily Monday-Friday for 2-5 treatments.

Stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS)

Cancer experts deliver a high-powered, precisely focused radiation beams to the brain and spine.  Despite the name, this is a non-invasive procedure that can target cancer while sparing the surrounding tissue. SRS is a one-time treatment.

Sentara medical oncologists use medicine that travel through your blood to cells throughout your body (systemic therapies) to destroy cancer. Systemic therapy types we offer include:

Chemotherapy

Doctors use different types of drugs called chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells in the body. We create a tailored chemotherapy treatment plan depending on the cancer type, your overall health and how you respond to treatment. You might take chemotherapy drugs as a pill, a shot (injection) or through an IV (infusion).

Corticosteroids

Steroids (corticosteroids) are drugs that reduce inflammation in the body. We may use these drugs to treat certain blood cancers like lymphoma and myeloma.

Hormonal therapy

Hormones are substances that direct how certain cells work in the body. Some cancers, such as breast cancer and gynecologic cancer, use hormones to grow.
We use hormone therapy to keep the body from making certain hormones or to keep hormones from attaching to cancer cells. Hormone therapy helps ensure that cancer can't use hormones to grow and spread.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapies are drugs that help your immune system fight cancer. These drugs help your immune system recognize cancer cells and destroy them. Immunotherapies include:

• Checkpoint inhibitors: Drugs that help your immune system find and fight cancer cells
• Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy: Personalized drugs created from your own altered white blood cells (T-cells) to destroy cancer
• Immunomodulators: Medications that improve your immune system's ability to fight certain cancer types
• Monoclonal antibodies: Drugs that mimic proteins in the immune system to destroy specific parts of cancer cells

Stem cell therapy

Stem cells are cells that form in the bone marrow. These cells can potentially develop into many different cell types in the body.

When cancer develops in the blood or bone marrow, we may use stem cell transplant to replace damaged cells with healthy cells. Stem cell transplants may be:

• Autologous: We remove your own healthy stem cells before high giving high-dose chemotherapy or radiation therapy and return them after treatment is complete.
• Allogenic: We give you healthy stem cells from a donor to replace damaged cells due to cancer or cancer treatment.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapies are drugs that attack cancer cells specifically, with less risk of harm to healthy cells. Some of these drugs tell cancer cells to die, while others stop cancer cells from growing and spreading.

Your doctor may take a tissue sample and examine it to see if targeted therapy is right for you. You might take targeted therapy orally (pill) or by IV.

Molecular tests help researchers learn more about changes in genes or chromosomes (cell material passed down from your parents). Researchers use a blood or tissue sample, or collect body fluids, to learn more about these genetic changes.

Our pathologists examine these samples under a microscope to better understand genetic changes. We use this information to learn more about cancers we treat and how cancer develops.

We also use molecular testing to:

• Diagnose cancer
• Learn if (or how) cancer is spreading
• See if treatment is working

Our state-of-the-art molecular testing laboratory helps your care team learn more about cancer and personalize your treatment.

We know that cancer treatment can be challenging. We offer many cancer support services, including help with scheduling, transportation and finances. We also offer support groups and wellness classes to help you feel your best as you heal.

Find a cancer specialist or call 1-888-220-2214 to learn more.