The Queen's Cancer Center Unites Cancer Treatments, Provides Guided Cancer Care and Advanced Technologies

Gov. Linda Lingle tours the Queen's Cancer Center at the grand opening ceremony.

Governor Linda Lingle asked her audience to imagine: You are a woman with two young children and you have been diagnosed with breast cancer or that you are a man who has been told you have prostate cancer. Making her remarks at the grand opening of the Queen's Cancer Center, the Governor was describing the overwhelming nature of a cancer diagnosis, and how the Queen's Cancer Center has brought a multitude of scattered services together in one place of refuge for cancer patients. "This is a leap forward for [cancer] patients and their families," said the Governor, who has been a strong proponent of Queen's Cancer Center since her visit last year. "It is beyond anything I ever imagined."

The Queen's Cancer Center institutes a new era of cancer care: A program that not only provides the most advanced treatments in one place, but also guides patients and their families through every aspect of care and sees that all their needs are met. The patient-centered facility brings together virtually every aspect of cancer diagnosis and treatment, which minimizes the need for patients and their caregivers to make multiple visits to scattered services, or to travel to the mainland for treatment.

Patient Navigators guide cancer patients through every aspect of diagnosis and treatment. They not only help patients and their families coordinate appointments and services, but also assist with very practical issues, like who will take care of young children during treatment. Care management includes pre-admission planning, monitoring of treatment progress, transitional care planning from inpatient to outpatient and identifying follow-up home care. There is also a resource center in the Queen's Cancer Center for patient education, as well as an American Cancer Center staff member on-site one day a week. Patient navigators also direct patients to available community services. For those who are overwhelmed with financial issues, a Queen's Cancer Center financial counselor can help sort out bills. Also available are social workers and case managers. Other services include on-campus housing and coordination of transportation from the airport for those who live off-island.

The Queen's Cancer also offers the most advanced technologies for treating cancer. Queen's provides the world's best imaging technologies, including a new PET/CT scanner, two 64-slice CTs and new MRI equipment—all of which give physicians the most accurate images of tumors and the human bodyís structures possible today. A newly remodeled Radiation Therapy offers CT simulation, stereotactic radiosurgery and tomotherapy. The Queen's Cancer Center offers new chemotherapy infusion areas where patients are made as comfortable as possible during long procedures. On the surgical side, Queen's offers da Vinci minimally invasive robotic surgery.

Chiyome Fukino, MD, Clayton Chong, MD, Darlene Chadwick, Vice President of Patient Care, Gov. Linda Lingle and Art Ushijima, QHS President & CEO at the reception area of the Queen's Cancer Center.

The Queen's Cancer also offers the most advanced technologies for treating cancer. Queen's provides the worldís best imaging technologies, including a new PET/CT scanner, two 64-slice CTs and new MRI equipment, all of which give physicians the most accurate images of tumors and the human body's structures possible today. A newly remodeled Radiation Therapy offers CT simulation, stereotactic radiosurgery and tomotherapy. The Queen's Cancer Center offers new chemotherapy infusion areas where patients are made as comfortable as possible during long procedures. On the surgical side, Queen's offers da Vinci minimally invasive robotic surgery.

"The number of people to thank is countless, but we embody their spirit and that of the many cancer patients we've served over the years," said Art Ushijima, QHS President & CEO, of realizing the vision the Queen's Cancer Center. "Our role today is to confirm the mission of our founders, King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma."