Brain Tumor Center
Overview
Offering Coordination of Care for Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors
Monmouth Medical Center has established the first facility in central and southern New Jersey offering a multidisciplinary approach for leading-edge treatment of primary and metastatic tumors of the central nervous system.
The David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center at the Leon Hess Cancer Center provides a full spectrum of comprehensive services to treat benign and malignant tumors originating in the brain and spinal cord, as well as neurological complications of cancer that has spread to other regions of the body.
Our Multidisciplinary Approach to Personalized Care
Because of the complexity of brain tumors, our patients benefit from the
collaboration and advanced treatment options offered by a multidisciplinary
team of health care professionals.
The team’s members represent a broad range of specialized fields,
including neuro-oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, radiation oncology,
neuroradiology, medical oncology, pathology, psychiatry, social work,
advanced practice nursing, speech therapy and rehabilitation. These qualified
experts work together in close collaboration to provide patients and their
family members with the care they need in a comfortable and supportive setting.
Since treatment methods and schedules often vary, the team’s goal
is to develop the best course of treatment to help ensure the best possible
outcome. During regular multidisciplinary brain tumor conferences, members
map out the optimal course of treatment individually tailored for each patient.
Recommendations for treatment are made after thorough review of the therapeutic
options, which can include surgery, radiation therapy, radiosurgery and
chemotherapy. Experimental treatments and participation in
research protocols also are explored.
Dedication
The David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey, is dedicated entirely to the treatment and cure of brain and/or spinal cord tumors in adults. Our vision is to become the leading Brain Tumor Center in the state of New Jersey and to become the paradigm institution for which other community based hospitals can model their program after.
Commitment
Our commitment is to provide the best clinical management and treatment options for brain tumor patients, and to enhance the quality of life of patients and their families by addressing their multidimensional needs, which include physical, social/family, emotional, functional, cognitive, and spiritual dimensions, through excellence of clinical management and research programs.
Goals
1. Clinical Management
- To provide state-of-the-art technologies and treatment options for patients with tumors of the brain and central nervous system.
2. Clinical Research Program
- To advance knowledge and treatment options by participating in clinical trial research programs.
3. Quality of Life and Outcome Research Program
- To describe quality of life and multidimensional needs among patients and their caregivers.
- To conduct clinical outcomes studies designed to assess interventional with potential to improve quality of life and unmet needs among patients and their caregivers.
4. Education and Supportive Services
- To educate the public, professional trainees, and practitioners.
- To formalize patient advocacy and supportive care programs.
- To provide the resources and support necessary for patients and their caregivers to meet the challenges of living with a brain tumor.
Program Key Components
The programs under the David S. Zocchi brain tumor center can be categorized into the following three key components:
- Primary malignant
- Primary benign
- Brain and spine metastases
Treatment Programs
Monmouth Medical Center has committed and is capable of offering the individualized state-of-the art diagnostic and treatment program through the entire disease trajectory, which include:
-
Initial diagnostic and staging work-up
- Pathology department
- Neuroradiology services
-
Multidisciplinary clinical treatment program
- Intracranial and extracranial (spine) stereotactic radiosurgery program (SRS) delivered by Tomotherapy
- External bean whole brain radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Neuro surgery
-
Multidimensional supportive service
- Neuropsychiatric evaluation service
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation – in conjunction with Healthsouth
- Cognitive rehabilitation program – in conjunction with Healthsouth
- Social work service
- Palliative care program
- Chaplain service
-
Support group
- Patient support group – in conjunction with Monmouth Ocean Brain tumor Support Group
- Caregiver support group
Milestones
Listed below is the summary of our key achievements since the establishment of David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center in January, 2006:
| 1/2006 | Sumul N. Raval. MD joined MMC and established the neuro-oncology program |
| 2/2006 | Established David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center through the support of Judy Zocchi |
| 5/2006 | Initiation of monthly multidisciplinary tumor board |
| 8/2006 | Part time brain tumor center APN coordinator was hired |
| 8/2006 | Established Neuro-Oncology database for second-line chemotherapy |
| 11/2006 | Dr. Raval presented his first abstract in the Society of Neuro-Oncology (SNO) national meeting |
| 5/2007 | Dr. Raval presented the updated abstract in the American Society of Clinical Oncology National Meeting |
| 10/2007 | Grand opening of David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center |
For more information about the David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center, call 1-877-577-9800.
