Celilo Cancer Center
Cancer Care in The Dalles
High Quality Medical Care & Patient Service
At Mid-Columbia Medical Center, our medical professionals are equipped
and ready to help you fight this cancer from every angle: mind, body,
and spirit.
MCMC's patient-centered philosophy ensures that we are open and honest
with all our patients and their families. The effects of cancer are life
changing, which is why we will provide you with as much information as
possible so you and your family can make well-informed decisions regarding
your care and start planning for the future.
Demystifying Cancer
The word "cancer" carries a heavy stigma with it and you may
be worried or afraid for your health. That is perfectly natural; but you
should know that cancer is, in many cases, very treatable. We provide
you and your family with numerous resources to manage the physical, mental,
and emotional aspects of this condition.
Cancer is a collection of related diseases caused by the uninhibited division
of abnormal cells in a specific area of the body. Our skilled oncologists
employ multi-disciplinary medical techniques to destroy the cancer cells
and prevent them from proliferating throughout the body further. We also
utilize state-of-the-art technology to accurately diagnose and treat the disease.
Several effective oncology treatment options include, but are not limited
to, the following:
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Immunotherapy/Biotherapy: Bolstering the body’s immune system so that it can better fight off
invading cancer cells. This can help to slow or even stop the growth of
cancer cells and prevent the cancer from spreading to other parts of the
body. There are several types of immunotherapy, and your treatment may
involve taking Monoclonal antibodies, cancer vaccines, or another non-specific
form of immunotherapy.
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Targeted Therapies: One of the most challenging aspects of cancer treatment is that it’s
difficult for medications such as chemotherapy to distinguish between
healthy cells and cancer cells. In targeted therapy, we use special, customized
drugs that target specific molecular parameters so that they go straight
for the diseased cells while leaving the healthy ones alone.
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Speech Language Pathology – Cancer can sometimes make it difficult for the patient to speak or even
swallow without difficulty. Speech language pathologists (SLPs) help train
patients on techniques to improve speech and restore function to the throat.
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Chemotherapy: Treating the disease by utilizing drugs that target and destroy malignant
cancer cells. The chemical agents in the chemotherapy drugs selectively
attack the cells that are causing damage. While radiation and surgery
work more effectively with confined cancer cells, chemo can work throughout
the entire body.
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Surgery: Removing the diseased portion of the body before cancer cells can spread
to other sections. Usually, this treatment method will be conducted concurrently
with other methods in order to ensure the complete destruction of all
remaining cancer cells. This method can also be used diagnostically in
order to determine the current state of the diseased section.
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Radiation Therapy: Destroying a confined section of cancer cells by blasting it with high-energy
radiation. This is typically utilized in conjunction with surgery and/or
chemotherapy, and when the cancer is concentrated in one area of the body.
Approximately half of all cancer patients will undergo some form of radiation
therapy during their cancer treatment.
Plan of Action
Our medical professionals are extensively experienced and thoroughly informed
about the effects and treatments for cancer. We will sit with you, diagnose
your condition, determine an effective course of action, and use many
of the abundant resources we have at our disposal to fight this disease.
You can rest assured that our skilled oncologists will work day and night
to help you.