Patient Care
Responsive Care: The Division attempts to offer an appointment to every referred cancer patient within three days. Initial appointments are often seen outside of "routine" office hours in order to begin the process of evaluation and triage.
Multidisciplinary Evaluation and Care: A comprehensive multidisciplinary team is readily available for the care of patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent cancers of the head and neck. Although every patient will not need to see every specialist, the team includes cancer surgeons, reconstructive surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists, dentists, nurses, speech/language pathologists, psychologists, nutrition specialist, and social workers. The otolaryngologist usually coordinates the initial intake. The treating surgeon and treating radiation oncologist often see cancer survivors simultaneously in follow-up. These multidisciplinary clinics have been available to our patients for over 30 years.
Regular Review: Members of the Head and Neck Oncology Program meet weekly to discuss new patients and clinical care issues.
Clinical Research: MCW participates in a variety nationally- and locally-sponsored clinical trials. Every patient who is eligible for a clinical trial is offered the opportunity to be entered. This benefits patients in two ways; first, it offers the most up-to-date approaches to each patient, and, second, recent data show that patients entered into clinical trials do better.
The Medical College is one of the Top 10 US participants in the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). MCW is also a member of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG), and the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG). RTOG, ECOG, and ACOSOG are sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. In addition, patients participate in trials of otherwise unavailable new medications thorough a collaborative agreement with the University of Chicago.
Functional Preservation: This commitment to clinical research has led our treatment philosophy to evolve over the years.
Since Medical College physicians were among the first to enter patients into voice-preserving studies, we have continued to study ways to avoid removal of the larynx or mandible whenever possible. When removal of the larynx is needed, we often perform immediate voice restoration procedures.
Clinical Experience: Froedtert Hospital treats almost three times as many Head and Neck Cancer patients than any other hospital in Southeastern Wisconsin.
According to the Department of Health and Family Services Office of Health Care Information, for the past five years, our team has treated more head and neck cancer patients than any other hospital in the region.
State-of-the-Art Care: The significant number of cancer patients has allowed us to develop expertise in the surgical and non-surgical management of head and neck cancer, as well.
We offer state-of-the-art immediate reconstruction after major resections. When appropriate, the physicians from Radiation Oncology and Neoplastic Diseases offer state-of-the-art treatment, including Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), innovative fractionation schedules, concurrent chemotherapy/radiation therapy, and Tomotherapy. Skull base surgeons and neurosurgeons are available for extended resections.