Chemotherapy Treatment at Penn Highlands

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the oldest and most widely used forms of cancer treatment, having been around for more than half a century. Depending on the type and stage of cancer you have, your Penn Highlands Healthcare oncologist may recommend a treatment plan that includes medical oncology treatments, such as chemotherapy. Read below to find out what’s involved.

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What Is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is the use of powerful drugs to shrink or kill cancer cells. It is often used in conjunction with other treatments, such as surgery or radiation. Sometimes chemotherapy is the primary treatment, or the only treatment that is used.

What Types of Cancer Are Treated at PHH Using Chemotherapy?

Penn Highlands oncologists use chemotherapy to treat many types of cancer, particularly cancers that have metastasized, or spread, to other parts of the body beyond where the tumor originated. You may receive chemotherapy if you have:

Bladder cancer
Blood cancer
Breast cancer
Cervical cancer
Colon cancer
Gastrointestinal cancer
Kidney cancer
Lung Cancer
Lymphatic system cancer
Ovarian cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Prostate cancer
Rectal cancer
Skin cancer
Stomach cancer

What Is the Process Used to Deliver Chemotherapy Treatment?

Before any treatment begins, your Penn Highlands medical oncologist will develop a custom treatment plan for you based on your overall health, type of cancer, and its stage. Before proceeding, he or she will discuss the plan with you and make sure you understand what’s involved and are comfortable with it. Cancer treatment is rarely an emergency, so feel free to ask questions and take some time to consider your options.

Your treatment plan may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, or some combination of these treatments. Chemotherapy may be administered before surgery or radiation to shrink a tumor or keep it from spreading before a procedure. Most often, though, chemotherapy is given after other treatments to prevent your cancer from coming back. How often and how long you need to continue chemo treatments depends on a number of factors, including your cancer type and treatment goals.

Once treatment is ready to begin, your oncologist will prescribe your chemotherapy to be delivered in one of a few ways. Most cancer drugs are administered through an IV line into a vein. Some drugs, however, may be injected or taken orally. An oncology nurse will administer the chemotherapy drugs as prescribed by your physician.

Where Is Chemotherapy Delivered at PHH?

If chemotherapy is part of your treatment plan, you will likely receive your treatments at Penn Highlands Hahne Cancer Center in DuBois or in Clearfield.

In some cases, you may receive chemotherapy at one of our hospitals. At Penn Highlands Brookville, chemotherapy is given in the Short Stay Unit. If you were diagnosed with cancer at Penn Highlands Elk, you may receive your chemotherapy at our Ridgway campus.

In some cases, you may be able to receive chemotherapy at home through the home health services of Penn Highlands Healthcare at Home, but not all patients meet the criteria for this option.