Cancer Treatment in Ocala

From cancer diagnosis through treatment and follow-up, you’ll have access to everything you need on your journey to beat breast cancer and keep living your life. Most breast cancer treatment involves surgery, and our breast cancer surgeons are skilled in many of the latest proven techniques, such as:

• Sentinel node biopsy: This is a biopsy of the lymph nodes under the arms where breast cancer usually spreads first. If there is no cancer in the sentinel nodes, the other nodes are most likely cancer-free as well.
• Breast-conserving cancer surgery: Also called breast-sparing surgery or lumpectomy, this procedure removes only the lump and some surrounding tissue. This surgery is often used for early-stage breast cancer and may be followed by radiation and other therapies.
• Mastectomy: In a total mastectomy, the surgeon removes the entire breast and often the lining over the chest muscle. A nipple sparing mastectomy, in which the skin over the breast is left intact, may be an option if you’re planning immediate reconstruction. A modified radical mastectomy removes the whole breast, most of the underarm lymph nodes and often the chest muscle lining.
• Reconstructive surgery: Our team is skilled in rebuilding breasts after a mastectomy, either using artificial implants or with tissue from elsewhere in the body (flap surgery).

Other cancer treatments may be used alone or following surgery, such as:

• Chemotherapy, using cancer-killing drugs that enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. It is often used for cancer that has metastasized.
• Radiation therapy, using high-energy rays to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. It is to reduce the risk of recurrence after surgery and to treat cancer that has spread to other areas.
• Hormonal therapy, for certain cancers that respond to it. It’s often used to help prevent cancer from returning after surgery.

Immunotherapy, also called genetic therapy, which triggers genetic changes that can help your immune system fight cancer. Immunotherapy is being used to treat some forms of breast cancer in clinical trials.

Gastrointestinal cancer includes cancers of the pancreas, stomach, colon or liver. The oncologists at AdventHealth Ocala offer the latest possible treatments for these cancers, from preventive surgery to remove polyps in the colon to laparoscopic surgery to treat advanced cancer while maintaining function and quality of life. Our gastroenterologists, cancer surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, therapeutic endoscopists, radiologists and other team members work together to create your cancer treatment and follow-up plan, which may include surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, nutrition counseling and other services.

Hematology oncology is treatment for blood cancers, such as Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphomas, leukemias and multiple myelomas. Through AdventHealth Ocala, you’ll have access to the most successful and promising hematology oncology treatments possible — from advanced chemotherapy protocols to bone marrow transplant.

There's no need to feel anxious just because you don't know a lot about lung or esophageal cancer. We've assembled a team of oncology experts to guide your care with skill and compassion.

Esophageal cancer develops in the esophagus, or the long tube that connects the throat to the stomach. Lung cancer usually develops in the lining of the bronchi, which is the main airway of the lungs. We offer specialized treatment for the following types of lung and esophageal cancer:

• Adenocarcinoma
• Large Cell Carcinoma
• Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma

You want to feel whole again. After you receive your diagnosis, you’re eager to take the next steps. And we're eager to guide you through them. Our staff includes lung and esophageal cancer experts, skilled in providing both lung cancer treatments and esophageal cancer treatments. But they're also experts in compassion, which means you'll be surrounded by people who care about and support you.

Lobectomy is one of the lung cancer treatments we offer. In this procedure, a surgeon removes the cancerous part of your lung, leaving the healthy tissue intact. At AdventHealth Ocala, we offer a modified lobectomy procedure that is minimally invasive and lower risk than the traditional form of this surgery. Our surgeons use small incisions to reduce complications, and they may use robotic technology to increase accuracy and efficiency. If your infection is more widespread, we may use a pneumonectomy, which removes the entire lung. We also offer an alternate, minimally invasive form of this procedure for faster recovery and less scarring. Other treatments we provide include:

• Chemotherapy
• Esophageal Cancer Surgery – Removes all or part of the esophagus, depending on the extent of the cancer.
• Radiation Therapy
• Targeted Therapy – Uses cancer-fighting drugs.

You want a life of wellness. That’s what we want for you, too. We know comprehensive esophageal or lung cancer treatment includes more than surgery and medication. It means being there for you at every stage of the care process. That’s why our Ocala hospital team is here to answer your questions and offer a steady shoulder to lean on — easing your mind and lifting your spirit as we provide highly specialized medical treatment. You can count on us for whole-person care and support from start to finish.