COOPERSTOWN – Bassett Healthcare’s Regional Cancer Center is one of
only eight sites in New York State recently recognized by the National
Cancer Institute (NCI) as having expertise in the multi-disciplinary
management of ovarian cancer. This is important information for women
in central New York fighting this deadly disease.
Last year, an estimated 22,220 women in the U.S. were diagnosed with
ovarian cancer. More than 16,000 women died from the disease in 2005.
Last month, NCI released a recommendation that women with advanced
ovarian cancer receive chemotherapy via two methods, intravenously (by
vein) and intraperitoneally (directly into the abdomen). Though the
combined approach is more toxic, it can extend the survival rate for
women with advanced ovarian cancer by more than a year.
“Bassett’s cancer program is one of only two in central New York and
one of only eight statewide to make the NCI’s list of approved sites
for this multi-disciplinary approach to treating ovarian cancer,” said
Maureen Killackey, M.D., director of Bassett’s Regional Cancer Program.
“The availability of the newest treatments and NCI supported
clinical trials is extremely important to this rural region. Without
Bassett’s program, women would have to travel hours to receive the
combined intraperitoneal and intravenous therapy recommended by the NCI
to treat advanced ovarian cancer.”
Intraperitoneal therapy involves the injection of anticancer drugs
through the abdominal wall and into the peritoneal cavity.
Additionally, this procedure requires a gynecologic oncologist to do
the initial surgery and to place the catheter and port device.
Killackey is a gynecologic oncologist with 24 years of experience in
this technique.
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