Cleveland Clinic is Florida’s destination for cancer care

After a century of caring for patients, including more than three decades in Florida, Cleveland Clinic knows what matters most to patients facing a cancer diagnosis. Patients want to have access to high-quality, comprehensive cancer services close to home. Cleveland Clinic’s five-hospital regional health system spanning southeast Florida is part of a global, physician-led organization that provides outstanding patient care guided by a “Patients First” philosophy. The nonprofit, multi specialty, academic medical center integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.

Commitment to industry standards

Cleveland Clinic’s three cancer centers in Florida include the Maroone Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, and the Scully-Welsh Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. They work together to ensure patients receive the care they need, including access to leading treatment options and clinical trials. The Florida-based cancer care team also harnesses the full resources of the Cleveland Clinic enterprise, including collaboration with the Taussig Cancer Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, which is one of the top cancer centers in the country. Each Florida cancer center has independently earned recognition for providing quality cancer care, including accreditation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer® and designation as Radiation Oncology Accredited Facilities by the American College of Radiology. In addition, the Maroone Cancer Center has received designation as a cancer center of excellence and QOPI® (Quality Oncology Practice Initiatives) certification, an acknowledgment that the practice meets quality and safety standards in the administration of cancer care.

Collaboration across specialties

Comprehensive cancer care is delivered by experts and clinicians representing multiple specialties from medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, surgery and multiple sub-specialties, plus experienced technicians, registered oncology nurses, social workers, patient navigators and support staff working together to provide patient-centered care. Teams of specialists conduct weekly cancer conferences to review and discuss cases and develop personalized treatment plans that may include:

• Expert surgical care with access to minimally invasive and robot assisted approaches
• Chemotherapy or immunotherapy treatments delivered in infusion suites focused on patient safety and comfort
• Advanced radiation therapies using state-of-the-art technology, including intensity modulated radiation therapy and intraoperative radiation therapy
• Participation in clinical trials and cancer research under the direction of leading physician scientists

Research-driven, personalized breast cancer care

The introduction of targeted precision therapy and immunotherapy has led to a new era of tailored breast cancer therapies that consider a patient’s genetic makeup; tumor composition at the detailed biological level; medical history; and response to therapy. Many drugs have been developed in the last decade that target specific types of breast cancer, including Hormone Receptor positive, HER2-positive or triple negative breast cancer with several sub-types within each group. “We now know we can achieve better outcomes by treating patients at the molecular level based on the specific genetic mutations of the tumor and unique characteristics of each individual patient,” says Zeina Nahleh, MD, FACP, Vice Chief, Cancer Institute, Regional Chair, Hematology-Oncology Division and Medical Director, Maroone Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital. “Advances in personalized therapies have led to a paradigm shift in the management of breast cancers and hold the promise of more to come.”

Compassionate, holistic care

Cleveland Clinic patients across Florida have access to an array of integrative cancer support services such as psychotherapy, oncology nutrition, art and music therapy, massage and fitness therapy.

Advanced cancer treatments

Cleveland Clinic’s multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists in Florida work together to address malignancies in virtually every part of the body using evidence-based modalities and the latest research.

They treat most forms of solid tumors and blood cancers, including:

• Breast cancer
• Lung cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Colorectal cancer

As a leading cancer care team serving South Florida and the Treasure Coast, Cleveland Clinic Florida provides patients the compassionate, personalized care they deserve close to home. And that makes all the difference. Learn more at ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/CancerExperts