Augusta University Cancer Center

The Augusta Cancer Center found Khleif working for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where he was acting as the institute’s vaccine department.

Augusta University Cancer Center has been one of the nation’s leaders in immunotherapy research; many believe that this sect of research holds the key to curing cancer and future advancements in therapy. Augusta Cancer Center is changing the definition of collaboration among research and clinical facilities all over the United States.

In the past, this institution was named the Georgia Regents University Cancer Center. The Georgia Regents University Cancer Center has opened a mesothelioma-specific clinical trial at Augusta Cancer Center.

Augusta is expected by others in the community to earn a Comprehensive Cancer Center designation under the leadership of Samir Khleif. Being awarded such a designation by the National Cancer Institute is that absolute highest pinnacle in cancer care and health care. The only NCI-designated cancer center in the state of Georgia is the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University.

The Augusta University Cancer Center is stocked with world-class facilities as well as a cutting-edge, integrative approach to cancer care. It is home to countless clinical trials. At the moment, the physicians and researchers are collaborating in over ninety clinical trials; these trials aim to provide patients with the newest, most innovative technologies and medicines, while at the same time attracting scientists, researchers, and physicians from all over the country. August Cancer Center is currently exploring an investigative trial that examines various immunotherapy treatments that improve survival rates for patients suffering from certain types of cancers. In this case, it is prostate cancer and advanced pancreatic cancer.

The trial is also utilizing therapies such as MTAs (Molecularly-Targeted Agents) for ailments such as lymphoma and leukemia. Immunotherapy is a therapy that involves the use of the body’s own defense and regulation mechanisms to eliminate cancerous cells. This is in immediate contrast to chemotherapy agents, which are toxic, and produce undesirable side effects. Augusta is at the forefront of this field of discovery, which is bound to revolutionize the way we treat cancer.

New Facilities

Augusta opened a new outpatient facility that spans over fifty-seven thousand square feet in 2010. This facility has been attracting patients from all over the southeastern United States, as well as more local regions, such as Georgia and South Carolina. It is stocked with plenty of working space, including thirty infusion stations and thirty examination rooms that offer seclusion for patients dealing with difficult emotions. Due to the abundance of space, patients have an easier time to make appointments to visit with families and other patients.

In 2006, an enormous, fifty-four million dollar cancer research facility opened at Augusta Cancer Center. It has plenty of facilities, from administrative offices to laboratories. This space houses thirty five research faculty as well as one-hundred and seventy five assistants and other various personnel. Due to the laboratories’ expansive floor plans, physicians and researchers are encouraged to collaborate and share ideas freely.

Patient Care

The cancer care team at the Augusta Cancer Center is made up of physicians from the following disciplines: surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, psychologists, and pathologists. There are professionals from many different disciplines working together at any given time.

The team specializing in thoracic oncology deals with treating patients with the most specialized care possible for every stage and type of chest ailment, such as lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Patients being treated at Augusta are all assigned a nurse navigator. The nurse navigator is in charge of simplifying the treatment process and determining ideal appointment times with the remainder of the health care team. Everyone on the patient’s treatment team meets at the same time and location.

There is a diverse array of diagnostic technologies for thoracic malignancies, including the following: advanced bronchoscopic imaging, endobronchial ultrasound, esophageal ultrasound, high resolution CT scans, PET scans, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (also known as VATS).

Proton therapy utilizes the only pencil-beam scanning capability in the United States. When it comes to treatment options, proton therapy is quite often considered. There are many other options when it comes to radiation therapies, such as less-invasive surgical procedures, immunotherapy, and brand-new chemotherapy agents that are utilized in clinical trials.

Clinical Trials

Over ninety clinical trials are underway at Augusta University Cancer Center; these trials are all in different phases and involve immunotherapy for various types of cancer, such as head, pancreas, liver, breast, brain, neck, and lung cancers.