The Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care is the only Center in the Northeast offering a full complement of regional therapies that are effective in treating cancer while reducing toxicity.
Regional chemotherapy treatments are the result of cutting-edge techniques at Montefiore designed to deliver treatment to the site of the disease, rather than put the whole body at risk for side effects that could result from the previous method of delivery for chemotherapy.
Regional perfusion therapy isolates the abdominal cavity (cancers of the appendix, colon and stomach) or the blood circulatory system in the arms and legs (for melanomas and sarcomas) or liver (primary and metastatic tumors)and then delivers concentrated doses of anti-cancer drugs to the targeted area of the body at levels higher than can be safely given intravenously, avoiding the side effects of standard chemotherapy and improving the treatment effectiveness.
In addition to regional perfusion therapy we provide targeted therapies, immunotherapies and radiotherapies using the most advanced positioning technologies that zero in on the tumor and protect healthy tissue.
Improving patient outcomes in prostate cancer, the Center for Cancer Care is routinely using the Calypso GPS-Guided Device providing precise, real time tracking of the prostate during radiation treatment. This GPS device relies on rice-sized seeds that are implanted in the prostate in a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure. Through harmless waves, and much like a radar signal, the Calypso GPS Device communicates with these signals to precisely calculate the position of the prostate with sub-millimeter accuracy. Montefiore oncologists can monitor the movement of the prostate during treatment and keep the radiation focused on the tumor. Similar short-range GPS Devices are used to treat other cancerous organs.
Montefiore is also on the cutting edge of providing cancer treatment through targeted drug therapies and immunotherapies. Targeted therapies are drugs that hone in on the specific gene mutations causing cancer, rather than affecting the entire body, and therefore are less harmful to normal cells. In addition to targeting the tumor directly, some therapies target the blood vessels feeding the tumor. By limiting the tumor's "food supply", we help to decrease the spread of the disease, making it easier to target and eradicate specific tumor cells.
Immunotherapy is a different type of targeted therapy in that it is used, not to directly target cancer cells, but rather to boost the immune system. With a better understanding of how our immune system works, immunotherapy allows us to administer drugs that directly target specific T-cells, which in turn attack tumors and help the patient fight off cancer.
Montefiore physicians have the experience and specialized skills to apply a variety of these uniquely advanced treatments and therapies for patients suffering from both rare and common cancers. Through our partnership with the NCI-designated Albert Einstein Cancer Center, we are constantly improving our efforts through research and clinical trials.
For more information on conditions we treat and clinical services we offer, please call the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care at 718-862-8840.