OCEAN PINES, Md.- The newly built Richard A. Henson Cancer Institute celebrated its inauguration with a ribbon cutting ceremony in Ocean Pines Wednesday, Aug. 30.
At the ribbon cutting, Dr. Thomas DeMarco, Peninsula Regional’s Medical Director of Cancer Services, said the team approach that has made care in Salisbury stand out will be just as important in Ocean Pines.
“It’s one cancer institute with two locations,” he said.
Beach-area residents may receive cancer treatment closer to home, as physicians at the new location will start taking patients on Tuesday.
“Having cancer is hard enough,” said Dr. John Mansueti, medical director of Radiation Oncology for the Richard A. Henson Cancer Institute Ocean Pines. “We needed to make it easier for our patients.”
The institute features the new Varian TrueBeam image guided radiotherapy and radiosurgery system identical to the one used in Salisbury.
“It’s accurate to within millimeters,” Dr. Mansueti said.
The center offers medical oncology services, in which patients can receive chemotherapy infusions in one of twelve private treatment areas. The medical oncology office additionally offers immunotherapy, a form of cancer treatment that mobilizes the patient’s immune system to fight cancer cells, according to PRMC officials.
On-site laboratory services at the institute allow necessary blood work to be completed before treatment, and a pharmacy specializing in oncology medications is located within the facility so that infusions may be readily available.
Patients of the Richard A. Henson Cancer Institute in Ocean Pines receive clinical trial access through the Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network to participate in studies for developing the next generation of cancer treatment, according to PRMC officials.
The new site also offers complimentary services such as nutrition, support groups, Fittings By Michele and special products to help women after mastectomy procedures or other cancer treatments.
