Stanford Hospitals and Clinics
Stanford Hospitals and Clinics is located at the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, California. In addition to the hospital building, other facilities under the umbrella of Stanford include:
- The Stanford Cancer Center
- Blake Wilbur Building
- Boswell Building
- Hoover Pavilion
- A Life Light helicopter and landing pad
- Outpatient psychiatry facility
Stanford Hospitals and Clinics are recognized worldwide for their advanced patient care; specifically in the treatment of rare, complex disorders. Some of the areas included in this care are cardiac, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery and organ transplants.
Stanford Hospital provides general acute care services and tertiary medical care for patients locally, nationally, and internationally. The hospital is also the primary teaching hospital for the Stanford University School of Medicine. They provide a clinical environment for the medical school’s researchers, as well as providing training for physicians and other medical professionals.
Stanford Clinics include 493 full-time faculty physicians, with areas of expertise ranging from primary care to advanced medical and surgical specialties. They offer more than 100 specialty and subspecialty service areas.
Stanford Cancer Center and Mesothelioma
The Stanford Cancer Center has adopted a multidisciplinary approach to mesothelioma through their Thoracic Oncology Program. The program incorporates physicians from a variety of specialties who are involved in patient evaluation, diagnosis and therapy. Their treatment team includes faculty from surgical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, medical oncology, and pulmonary medicine. This Multidisciplinary Thoracic Tumor Board meets weekly to evaluate newly diagnosed patients from a team approach.
Stanford researchers and physicians are involved in developing new treatment options for mesothelioma. The center also offers clinical trials. Most recently their research programs include studies of gene therapy for mesothelioma, and clinical trials for Paclitaxel analogs.
As a means of treating mesothelioma, the Stanford Cancer Center incorporates an array of newer treatment methods including:
- Radiofrequency ablation–a minimally invasive procedure that uses a heat-generating, electrode-tipped catheter to destroy tumor cells.
- CyberKnife–an advanced stereotactic radiosurgery device that uses computer technology to deliver radiation therapy.
- Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT)–allows doctors to deliver a high dose of radiation to the tumor site while a patient is still in the operating room during surgery. One-time IORT is more convenient than traditional radiotherapy and reduces the exposure of healthy tissues to radiation.
- Intensity modulated radiation (IMRT)–reduces the dose of radiation received by healthy tissue, and can allow doctors to deliver radiation to difficult-to-reach areas.
- Bronchial stenting–opens up airways, allowing for easier breathing.
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