Cancer Care Services -- 618.433.7979

Radiation Therapy Services
Alton Memorial Hospital's Cancer Care Center provides some of the most advanced radiotherapy treatment modalities available. Our Center was the first in the River Bend area to offer intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), a sophisticated cancer treatment that delivers precise and concentrated radiation doses that conform to the three-dimensional (3-D) shape of a tumor. IMRT allows higher, more effective doses of radiation to be delivered to tumors with fewer side effects and less risk to surrounding healthy tissues.

The Cancer Care Center features a state-of-the-art Varian linear accelerator that delivers external -- outside of the body -- beam radiation to treat cancer. This radiation therapy is effective in treating brain tumors, breast cancer, head and neck tumors, lung cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, rectal cancer, cervical cancer and uterine cancer.

Radiation therapy is typically given to patients five days a week for up to eight weeks. Side effects are generally mild and depend on the cancer's location and radiation dose. Patients may experience redness, dryness, swelling or soreness at the treatment site.

Radiation therapy is used for intermediate or advanced stages of cancer and is often combined with surgery. It may be used in concert with chemotherapy to treat cancers that have spread beyond the original site.

The Cancer Care Center is adjacent to the Alton Memorial Hospital medical office building.

Chemotherapy -- 618.463.7323
Chemotherapy -- infusion therapy -- is the use of drugs to treat cancer. Chemotherapy drugs may be used alone or combined with other treatments. Depending on the type of cancer and stage, chemotherapy may be given in pill form, by shot or intravenously. Chemotherapy services are offered on an inpatient and outpatient basis at the Hospital and are provided under the direction of oncology-certified nurses.

Surgical Services
Surgery can play a role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Alton Memorial Hospital Surgery Center is the area's newest, most comprehensive facility for surgical procedures. Minimally invasive surgical procedures can be performed to remove tumors while preserving surrounding tissues. For cancers that have not spread to other parts of the body, surgery may offer the greatest chance for cure.

Support and Follow-Up Care
Support services available to cancer patients and their families include:

• Nutrition counseling
• Cancer Support Group 
• Grief, Loss, Change Support Group 
• Cancer resource library
• Community outreach and cancer screenings
• Home Health through BJC Home Care Services 
• BJC Hospice 
• Pain management