As scary as a cancer diagnosis can be, it does not mean your life is ruined. In recent years, cancer treatments have been drastically improved to help patients better fight the disease and enjoy a better quality of life. At Kirby Medical Center we use state-of-the-art equipment and National Cancer Institute-research programs to provide excellent oncology services in Piatt County.
The Oncology Specialty Clinic is run by Dr. Sebastian S. Kairouz, who sees patients on Tuesday at Kirby Medical Center. Dr. Kairouz is board certified in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology and American Society of Clinical Oncology. He is highly experienced in cancer treatments and committed to learning everything he can about the still somewhat mysterious disease.
Oncology services at Kirby Medical Center include:
It is important, and often comforting, to know everything you can about cancer when fighting it. Cancer occurs when abnormal cells develop in the body and start reproducing. There is no known definitive cause cancer cells, but excessive exposure to carcinogens and radiation are known to play a part.
In most forms of cancer, the abnormal cells will clump together and form a growth called a tumor. From here the cancer cells spread out into the body and start attacking healthy cells. To cure cancer, these abnormal cells must be completely eradicated. There are numerous means of doing this, and one of the most common and effective ways is chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is a powerful medication administered through an IV. It is applied to the primary cluster of cancer cells and kills them. While effective, chemotherapy can be tough on patients because the medication has a hard time differentiating healthy cells from cancer cells and ends up killing both. Cancer researchers are continuously trying to correct this.
At Kirby Medical Center, chemotherapy is administered by a registered nurse. Dr. Kairouz works with patients to explore a variety of treatments and determine which is right for them. Most cancer treatments involve a combination of treatments, which typically includes some form of chemotherapy.
Kirby Medical Center is dedicated to helping patients fight cancer and live comfortably. Call 217-876-6600 for more about our oncology services.