Cancer treatment options in Bryan, Texas

Our caring, compassionate team never forgets that behind every chart is a person who needs encouragement and hope as much as they need innovative cancer treatment. At St. Joseph Health Cancer Center, we treat every patient as if they were a member of our own family.

NAPBC Accredited Breast Cancer Center—working hard for you.

The St. Joseph Health Cancer Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)  for our focus on patient needs and providing outstanding care that exceeds national standards.  

We’re devoted to you and your needs as you fight cancer. It’s a tough battle and we’ll be with you every step of the way. We never settle for meeting national standards—we’re out to exceed them through research, technology, the latest medical advances, and a staff that doesn’t believe in giving up.

What is radiation therapy?

The St. Joseph Health Cancer Center specializes in the most advanced forms of radiation therapy and helps thousands of cancer patients get better every year. St. Joseph Health’s radiation cancer specialists—including physicians, physicists, dosimetrists, therapists and safety experts—are among the most skilled cancer specialists in the planning and delivery of radiation cancer treatment. They work closely with a full multidisciplinary team, meeting on St. Joseph Health tumor boards each week, and creating personalized radiation plans that are safe and effective.

Our radiation therapy program for cancer treatment is recognized for consistent use of SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy) to treat non-tumors such as tumors in the liver, lung and spine and conducting Prostate Brachytherapy as a day-stay procedure.

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that targets fast-dividing cancer cells and disrupts or destroys them, stopping them from growing or spreading throughout the body. It is considered a local treatment because only cells in the area being treated are affected.  The goal with radiation therapy is to highly target cancer cells using the most advanced techniques for the least possible negative affect on healthy cells.

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy (medical oncology) is a potent weapon in the fight against cancer. It can be used to cure cancer, to slow its growth, keep it from spreading, or even to relieve the symptoms caused by cancer. Recent advances in the knowledge and understanding of the biology in cancer cells has led to an impressive increase in the anti-cancer drugs that are available to the medical oncologist.

A combination of drugs will often be used to treat cancer. Each drug is specifically designed to attack one element of the cancer or enhance the body's efforts to fight the disease. Sometimes, chemotherapy is used along with radiation therapy or biotherapy for the most effective treatment. Each type of cancer and every individual are best treated through the development of unique treatment plans that address the location of the cancer, the extent of its growth and the general health of the patient.

St. Joseph Health chemotherapy treatment is managed by a team of cancer doctors who specialize in the medical management of blood disorders (hematology) and cancer (oncology). Medical oncology doctors also specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of hematologic (blood and lymph node) disorders such as leukemia and lymphoma.

Our medical oncologists lead in the research and development of new medical therapies for cancer treatment. Most of our nurses are OCN certified by the Oncology Nursing Society. And our Pathology Lab is CAP certified.

Hematology and other medical cancer treatments

In many cases, your treatment may require methods other than radiation. The cancer specialists at St. Joseph Health Cancer Center offer a variety of alternate methods, as needed. Additional medical therapies for cancer include:

• Other types of anti-cancer drugs
• Palliative medicine for cancer pain

Biological therapy involves the use of living organisms, substances derived from living organisms, or laboratory-produced versions of such substances to treat disease. Some biological therapies for cancer use vaccines or bacteria to stimulate the body’s immune system and  act against the cancer cells. For patients with cancer, biological therapies may be used to treat the cancer itself or the side effects of other cancer treatments.

Pain management through expert Palliative & Supportive Care is a crucial part of what we do at St. Joseph Health. Palliative care during and after cancer treatment is about applying the science of medicine and adding the element of compassion from our caring staff. Our focus is on reducing pain and suffering while promoting comfort and quality of life during this most difficult time. This includes communication, management of physical symptoms, advanced care planning, psychosocial and spiritual support, and the coordination of care for services like, Hospice.

Advanced cancer surgery

Our cancer surgery team is driven to provide our patients with the safest and most effective cancer surgery experience. Our surgeons are skilled in the most advanced, yet traditional cancer surgeries and minimally invasive surgeries, including robotic surgery techniques for every part of the human body.

To improve our patients’ outcomes, our cancer surgeons and interventional specialists at St. Joseph Health research, educate, and continually train so they’re up to date on the latest technologies and safety systems for cancer surgery.

Clinical trial research therapies

St. Joseph Health Cancer Center participates in research studies and clinical trials, and has a continuous flow of studies and trials available to our patients. In fact, we’re actively seeking patients to take part in trials, administer a treatment or drug being studied, and provide a comprehensive follow up after the trial has concluded. We have a Clinical Research Nurse on staff to oversee clinical trials and keep our patients and their families informed throughout treatment.