Difference Between Community Oncology and Cancer Centers
Finding the Best Oncology Treatment Setting for You
Receiving a cancer diagnosis requires quick, but important, decision-making. Your top-two priorities will be deciding on the best cancer treatment setting and choosing your oncologist. This article outlines the available care settings and provides you with questions to help you choose the best cancer treatment setting for your needs.
Cancer Treatment Setting Options
The two different care categories that treat cancer are described below.
Community Oncology
Community oncology’s mission is to provide high-quality care close to patients’ homes. It offers access to state-of-the-art, high-quality, affordable cancer care directly within a community. Community oncology practices come in different sizes. Some are smaller practices with only one oncologist. Others are large statewide practices with multiple locations. These larger practices have numerous oncologists and cancer specialists. With community-based oncology, quality patient care is at the forefront. Larger community oncology practices may provide access to clinical trials and other research, but small practices typically do not.
Academic Cancer Center or Cancer Hospitals
Unlike community cancer care, academic cancer centers and cancer hospitals are larger institutions. They employ a wide variety of oncologists and cancer specialists. In addition to focusing on patient care, cancer centers and cancer hospitals typically focus heavily on research and teaching. They often house large, multidisciplinary teams that seek to translate scientific discoveries into new treatments for cancer patients. They’re most commonly found within major cities.
Benefits of Different Cancer Settings
Community Oncology
Offers patients access to cutting-edge treatments and high-quality care, usually within just a few miles of their homes. As such, community oncology limits disruptions to a patient’s day-to-day life. Because they can be close to their homes, patients have their support networks and loved ones while being treated with the best cancer care options. In addition, community oncology offers the following benefits over other care settings:
- Focus on Patient Care: Most community oncology practices provide patients not only a more comfortable environment while being treated but also the opportunity to build a connection with their care teams. Each patient has one team of professionals who build that relationship and personal connection during an intense time. Since patients often see their oncologist more than their primary care physician during this time, community oncologists may manage patients’ side effects or collaborate with the primary care physician. Once treatment is over, the same physician will continue to check in and conduct follow-ups every year. In a hospital setting, patients often see a few different physicians, nurses and technicians throughout treatment.
- Lower Cost of Cancer Treatment: Studies have shown that cancer care delivered in a cancer hospital outpatient department costs significantly more than being treated in a community oncology setting. This is most likely caused by the cost of chemo and insurance providers.
- In-House Research and Testing: Many clinical trials and diagnostics are conducted in-house, which means patients can participate in clinical trials, receive their lab results quicker and be part of the research while staying close to home.
Academic Cancer Centers and Cancer Hospitals
Often have diverse missions, spreading their focus between patient care, research and teaching. Their large, multidisciplinary teams offer many specialties in-house, which can create a more institutional feel. In addition, some of the best cancer centers and cancer hospitals offer the following benefits over other care settings:
- Shared Focus on Patient Care and Research: Most of the time, treatment at a cancer hospital means inpatient cancer care. This would be ideal for someone who has many other health complications or who needs around-the-clock care. Many of the best cancer treatment centers and hospitals are at the forefront of cancer research and medical breakthroughs.
- Access to a Broad Range of Cutting-Edge Therapies: Many of the larger cancer hospitals and centers have access to new treatment before it is available to other locations. This is because of affiliations with research labs or because the research is conducted at their locations.
- Diverse Multidisciplinary Teams: Cancer hospitals and centers focus not only on cancer but overall health. Therefore, they offer a diverse team of specialists, including oncologists, surgeons, radiologists and researchers. The multidisciplinary nature of academic centers facilitates comprehensive and integrated care, especially for complex cases.
What is Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute?
Contact Us
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute is among the top-ranked community oncology practices in the nation. To put it simply, our goal is to keep you out of the hospital and treated with the best cancer care possible. While Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute is a community oncology practice, we offer many of the same benefits as academic centers. Our collective number of locations and expert physicians enable our premier approach to care. Many locations are equipped with state-of-the-art radiation oncology services available within the office. For example, some have a skilled pharmacy team available 24/7 and high-quality, on-site laboratories to process tests quickly and effectively.
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute physicians are board-certified and experienced in treating all types of cancer. Many of them are considered among the country’s top experts in cancer research. With nearly 100 locations in Florida, we are easily accessible where you need us, with no unnecessary travel and time away from home and loved ones for superior care.
Your Cancer Treatment Is Your Decision
Each patient’s cancer experience is different. Finding the best cancer treatment location is a personal choice that deserves careful consideration. Whether you find confidence in a cancer hospital or discover comfort in your local community-based cancer center, prioritize a setting that resonates with your values. Prioritizing your unique needs will help you get the best cancer treatment outcome possible.
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