A cancer diagnosis is life-changing, and despite advances in prevention and treatment, it remains the second leading cause of death among American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the region, there are nearly 2,500 new cancer diagnoses annually. For many patients in the fast-growing Lancaster County, traveling to Charlotte or Charleston was the only option to seek cancer care. Now, these patients have access to cancer treatment right in their backyard.
MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center is removing barriers to receiving cancer treatment by opening its first Hematology and Oncology clinic in Lancaster, an important milestone that expands access to specialized cancer care for residents in the county and surrounding communities. This new clinic will bring expert diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support to patients who previously had to travel long distances for oncology services.
“For what we do, it’s hard for patients to travel more than 30 minutes for treatment because of side effects and the time each visit takes. That’s going to make a big difference in terms of quality of life for patients,” said William Charles, M.D., director of MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center’s oncology service line, who also treats patients at the Hematology and Oncology Clinic.
This new clinic provides hematology and medical oncology services, including infusion therapy. Infusion therapy delivers medications or fluids directly into the bloodstream, making it vital in treating cancer. The clinic will care for patients with a range of diagnoses, including, but not limited to, breast, colon, lung and gastrointestinal cancers.
“I think ultimately what patients will see is that their care is better coordinated because everything happens within one system. I can easily track what’s happening from a surgical standpoint by going through our own system, and those types of connections can make a real difference for our patients and the care we provide,” said Charles.
Efforts to expand cancer treatment in the region don’t stop at MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center. With the construction of MUSC Health Indian Land Medical Center underway, the MUSC Health-Catawba Division will expand medical oncology and infusion offerings and introduce radiation therapy. A multidisciplinary approach brings together specialists across several disciplines, including pathology, radiology, surgery and oncology, to create collaborative treatment plans. These will be amplified as additional disciplines are added. This program will also work closely with MUSC Health’s Hollings Cancer Center for the addition of novel therapies like chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) and access to clinical trials.
“The best care is local, especially for cancer treatment that often requires frequent visits over long periods of time,” said J. Scott Broome, chief executive officer of the MUSC Health-Catawba Division. “Developing a comprehensive cancer program within MUSC Health’s Catawba Division means that patients can receive comprehensive, high-quality cancer care close to home.”
For Charles, the future of cancer care in Lancaster County and the surrounding areas has never looked brighter. “The goal is big, but we want to do it right,” he said. “Starting here at MUSC Health Lancaster Medical Center, getting to know our patients and growing the practice alongside our staff will make a lasting impact.”
