Thompson Cancer Survival Center

Thompson Cancer Survival Center is more than a world-class cancer center. It is a cancer survival center, where leading cancer specialists use the most advanced technologies to achieve breakthrough successes in treating many types of cancer. Our network of cancer care providers, including those in Thompson Oncology Group (our own medical oncology, hematology, and gynecologic oncology practice), are supported by a team of patient navigators, oncology pharmacists, dietitians, genetics counselors, clinical trial specialists, physicists, therapists, technologists, oncology nurses, social workers, and counselors who all work to treat and beat cancer. In addition to innovative technologies and treatment methodologies, in 2022 Covenant Health added a new proton therapy center to the treatment options at Thompson Cancer Survival Center. Patients can now receive proton therapy as part of Covenant Health's umbrella of cancer services offered through Thompson Cancer Survival Center locations throughout the region and the Covenant Cancer Network. One of only forty proton therapy facilities in the United States, Thompson Proton Center is an advanced form of radiation therapy that uses beams of high-energy protons to treat various forms of cancer, while protecting nearby healthy tissue and vital organs from unnecessary radiation. The Thompson Proton Center treated 151 patients for the period from July 19 through December 31, 2022. SERVICEThompson Cancer Survival Center ("TCSC") has one program service: CANCER SUPPORT SERVICES. TCSC provides a range of cancer support services with the aim of providing patients who are undergoing cancer treatment the best possible outcome for their individual situations. Support services include cancer outreach services, treatment care coordination and oncology clinical trials.Covenant Health facilities identify and refer patients to the TCSC Social Services Department. In 2022, there were 2,916 new patient referrals to Social Services and 8,694 follow-up patients. The Social Services Department includes a nutritional counseling and education program and a Genetics Clinic. The nutritional counseling and education program had 2,956 new patient referrals in 2022 with 4,182 follow-up assessments and 3,629 education encounters to support patients. In 2022, the Genetics Clinic received referrals for 881 new patients who were in need of genetic counseling. Of these patients, 866 were scheduled, 581 completed genetic counseling, and 458 elected to pursue genetic testing. All patients were able to receive full personal and family history reviews, allowing for a thorough risk assessment for the potential of a hereditary cancer syndrome or other familial risk factors possibly not accounted for through genetic testing. The patients received education and counseling regarding their pursuit of genetic testing. When appropriate, patients were provided with information about support resources for individuals in similar circumstances. Finally, all patients received recommendations for risk reduction strategies personalized for their individual health history, family history, and genetic test results when available. A goal of TCSC is to provide treatment care coordination for each patient. This goal is achieved by two means: the Multidisciplinary Treatment program and the Nurse Navigator program.Multidisciplinary Treatment is a process of individual patient consultation with members of the patient's oncology care team, where treatment options are discussed based on that individual's circumstances. This approach gives the physician the opportunity to relate one-on-one with the oncology patient and explain treatment choices in layperson's language. Patients needing care coordination come from various Covenant Health organizations and other facilities. In 2022, the program added two navigators to expand service locations.The TCSC Nurse Navigator program was developed to help oncology patients overcome multiple barriers to healthcare, according to their needs. Common barriers include financial, education, transportation, language, emotional, and a complicated health care system in general. The TCSC Nurse Navigators guide patients to sources of financial support, help complete paperwork, educate patients on diagnoses and medical procedures, arrange and coordinate appointments with multiple providers, help with transportation, assist with housing, communicate with providers about unique patient needs, ensure medical records arrive at scheduled appointments, direct patients to support groups or counseling services, and attend patient appointments for support. Nurse Navigators work diligently to meet the needs of patients and families and become their liaisons between all physicians and services. There were 31,604 oncology patient education encounters in 2022, and 2,227 patients were assisted with their treatment by TCSC Nurse Navigators. For those patients who receive curative treatment, over 173 Survivorship Care Plans were completed by Nurse Navigators and discussed with patients in 2022.The Nurse Navigator is actively involved in the multidisciplinary care of patients. Nurse Navigators currently schedule, organize, oversee, summarize, and provide follow-up for four to five multidisciplinary cancer conferences per week. In 2022, 1,615 patients were presented at multidisciplinary conferences, with 162 of those patients being seen in our clinics where a Nurse Navigator is in attendance. TCSC continued all conferences in-person as well as via virtual format. Work continued toward a new accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer for 2022. In 2022, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center became the first hospital in Tennessee to receive accreditation from NAPRC, affirming a commitment to providing the best possible care to patients with rectal cancer. Oncology clinical trials offer cancer patients access to proven standard cancer treatments and to newly developed cutting-edge therapies. Since the opening of TCSC in 1988, the Clinical Trials Department has enrolled 2,713 patients in oncology clinical trials. The TCSC Clinical Trials Department currently has twenty open treatment trials and one Proton Registry Trial. The department has eleven active-treatment patients and ninety-nine patients in follow-up studies. We consented 298 subjects to the Proton Registry Trial in July 2022, with 161 of those being added to the trial. In 2022, the TCSC Clinical Trials Department opened eleven oncology clinical trials and continued to increase the portfolio into 2023. Because of the excellent research reputation of Dr. Chism and the research team, Thompson continues to have new clinical trial opportunities offered to the team on a weekly basis. To help with screening efforts, Research Nurse Coordinators are assigned to specific physician schedules and to specific locations for coverage, including Thompson Oncology Groups in Oak Ridge, Sevierville, West Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville, and Lenoir City. Opening new studies increases referrals locally and regionally and gives current patients the ability to be treated with state-of-the-art care in their own community. Involvement in prevention and treatment trials offers improved health strategies for individuals at risk for certain cancers.Other TCSC programs in place to support Covenant Health patients undergoing cancer treatment include the East Tennessee Cancer Registry and Cancer Outreach Services.