Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

825 Eastlake Ave. E

P.O. Box 19023

Seattle, Washington 98109-1023

United States of America

Website                    http://www.seattlecca.org

E-mail                      contactus@seattlecca.org

Telephone                ++1 (for USA) - 206 - 288 10 24

The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) brings together the best of three internationally renowned cancer-care institutions: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), UW Medicine, and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center have long-standing affiliations that support their respective missions of research, patient care, and education. In order to enhance cancer research and advance the treatment of cancer, FHCRC, UW Medicine, and Children's Hospital have consolidated their adult and pediatric medical oncology/hematology clinical care programs into the separate, jointly governed Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA). Each of the three SCCA partners has equal ownership in the SCCA.

The SCCA's purposes:

 - Provide premier, patient-focused cancer care.
 - Support the conduct of cancer clinical research and education.
 - Enhance access to improved cancer interventions.
 - Advance the standard of cancer care, regionally and beyond.

A major focus of the SCCA is to speed up the transfer of new diagnostic and treatment techniques from the research setting to patient care. The highly integrated approach to cancer research and treatment among  SCCA partner organizations supports the flow of scientific information among researchers, clinicians, and patients, thereby accelerating the development of new knowledge and treatment of various cancers.

Bladder Cancer

Brain and Nervous System (adult and pediatric)

Breast Cancer

Cervical Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Endometrial Cancer

Gestational Trophoblastic Disease

Head & Neck Cancers

Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Kidney Cancer

Leukemia (acute and chronic) (Adult and Pediatric)

Liver Cancer

Lung Cancer (non-small cell and small cell)

Lymphoma (adult and pediatric)

Melanoma Cancer

Mesothelioma

Multiple Myeloma

Myelodysplasia

Myelofibrosis

Oral Cavity & Oropharanyx Cancer

Ovarian Cancer

Pancreas Cancer

Pediatric Cancers

Prostate Cancer

Renal cell carcinoma

Sarcoma (adult and pediatric)

Stomach Cancer

Testicular Cancer

Uterine Cancer

Vulvar Cancer

Selected pediatric solid tumors, including Ewing's sarcoma and neuroblastoma.

Non-Invasive Diagnostic Methods:

Conventional Radiography

Interventional Radiologic/Fluoroscopic Procedures

Computed Tomography

MRI

CAT scans

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Ultrasonography

Nuclear Medicine

PET (offered offsite at the University of Washington Medical Center or Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center)

Angiography (offered offsite at the University of Washington Medical Center or Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center)

Invasive Diagnostic Methods:

Bronchoscopy

Endoscopy

Pulmonary Arterial line Catheter

Arterial-line insertion

Pulmonary artery insertion

Dialysis access

Skin biopsy

Non-Invasive Therapeutic Methods:

Individualized nutrition assessment and counseling

Physical Therapy

Psychological

Chaplancy

Social Work

Invasive, Non-Surgical Therapeutic Methods:

Chemotherapy (intravenous, injection and oral)

Hormone Therapy

Radiation Oncology

Surgical Therapeutic Methods:

Preventive
Removes noncancerous tissue that could become malignant, such as suspicious lesions on the skin, precancerous conditions (e.g., polyps in the colon), or organs that could be susceptible to cancer.

Diagnostic
This type of surgery, known as a biopsy, is used to get a tissue sample of a tumor to see if it is cancerous. A biopsy can be performed in a number of ways: with a fine needle aspiration, a needle is inserted into the tumor to draw out tissue; with an incisional or excisional biopsy an incision is made so that a surgeon can remove a piece of the tumor, or the entire mass.

Staging
This procedure, which can also take tissue samples, uses small cameras or scopes to get a better assessment of the disease and to determine its extent. For example, an endoscope uses a flexible tube with a viewing lens or a video camera to allow the doctor to see any masses in the area, such as in the esophagus (esophagoscopy), stomach (gastroscopy), small intestine (duodenoscopy), colon (colonoscopy), bladder (cystocopy), or respiratory tract (bronchoscopy). A laparoscopy is similar to an endoscopy, but it requires a small incision to be made in the abdomen. When the incision is made in the chest it is called a thoracoscopy.

Curative
Removes a tumor that has not spread to other parts of the body. It is often followed by radiation and chemotherapy.

Debulking
Reduces the tumor as much as possible before it is treated by other therapies, such as radiation and chemotherapy. This procedure, commonly used for advanced cancers of the ovary, is performed when removal of a tumor would cause too much damage to another organ.

Palliative
Treats advanced stages of cancer as a means of pain relief; it is not intended as a cure. For example, it can be used to correct a problem that causes a patient discomfort, such as a tumor that has blocked an abdomen.

Supportive
Facilitates other types of cancer treatment. For example, some patients can place a catheter port under their skin to deliver chemotherapy drugs.

Restorative
Returns the body to a normal, or near normal appearance. The most common type of restorative surgery is breast reconstruction.

Total number of beds: 20  beds on-site and 66 beds contracted through the University of Washington Medical Center

Number of critical care beds: 5 ICU (6th opening in a month)

Radiation therapy available: yes

Number of doctors: 200 Medical Staff  – However, they are not employed at the SCCA but instead through the University of Washington or the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Reference Year: FY 2003

Total number of Visits of In- and Outpatients: 35,130

Average Length of Stay of Patients in Days: 14.1 days

This information was provided by Claire Beck Keeler, the Director of Marketing of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

Last update: 3rd of April 2004

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