Ochsner Cancer Institute
1514 Jefferson Highway
New Orleans, LA 70121
(504) 842-3910
When you receive a diagnosis for an asbestos cancer like peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma, it is important to look for a well-known facility where the newest treatments are available. One of the difficulties that face those who have mesothelioma, is that although this disease can often take twenty years or more to manifest, once they receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, it is usually at an advanced stage. As a result, general practitioners and smaller clinics might not possess the expertise and experience needed to provide the most effective care for those with this relatively rare disease. In addition to offering medications, radiation and surgical treatment, many mesothelioma cancer centers also employ counselors to assist patients and their loved ones cope with the difficulty of fighting the cancer. Some parts of the country do not have state-of-the-art treatment centers for hard-to-treat disorders such as asbestos-related cancer, in which case you might have to travel in order to receive the type of medical treatment you want.
Dr. Alton Ochsner was the first physician to make the link between smoking and lung cancer in 1939. Three years later, he and four colleagues established the Ochsner Cancer Institute, which was the first such practice of its kind in the South. The Ochsner Health System has since grown into a nonprofit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare facilities employing 600 physicians in 80 medical specialties and 7400 support staff. OCI researchers are involved in an average of 700 clinical trials each year.
The OCI was named among the best hospitals by U.S. News & World Reportevery year between 2004 and 2007. In addition, it was named "Most Wired" from 2005 to 2007 by the American Hospital Association and AARP's "Best Place to Work" during the same period. Currently, it is the only cancer facility in Louisiana that has been included in Good Housekeeping Magazine's list of the outstanding American cancer treatment centers.
The Ochsner Cancer Institute maintains affiliations with the following:
- Association of Community Cancer Centers
- Children's Oncology Group
- Community Clinical Oncology Program
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
- North Center Cancer Treatment Group
- Radiation Therapy Oncology Group
- National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project
Physicians at the Ochsner Cancer Institute treat over 2,000 new cancer patients annually; staff pathologists have diagnosed the full range of cancers, including mesothelioma. The team of cancer specialists includes physicians and oncology nurses who provide numerous treatment options for all cancer patients as well extensive outpatient cancer services.
Sources
Ochsner Health System
http://www.ochsner.org/default.cfm
