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Lombardi Comprehensive

Contact Information

3800 Reservoir Road Northwest Washington, DC 20057
(202) 444-4000

The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University, or LCCC, is located in Washington, D.C., and is one of 40 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. This center is affiliated with the Georgetown University Medical Center and the Georgetown University Hospital, the latter of which is rated by U.S. News and World Report as one of the 50 best cancer centers in the United States. LCCC treats over 7,000 new cases of cancer each year, and is home to some of the most cutting-edge treatment techniques and clinical research. There are over 200 faculty members at LCCC, and it receives an annual research budget of more than $100 million each year to undertake research regarding molecular markers of cancer, drug discovery, and other specialized research fields falling under the six divisions of the research department.

Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center offers a multidisciplinary team of physicians to evaluate each case and determine treatment options. However, there are specialists in different types of cancers who are responsible for the majority of a given patient's care. A patient with pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung which is linked to on the job inhalation of asbestos, would be referred to a lung cancer specialist, some of whom have experience treating this very specific form of cancer.

Additionally, a wide variety of patient and family support programs are available with LCCC, many of which are provided on-site, including nutrition counseling and fitness/exercise counseling. The building also houses the Nina Hyde Resource Room, which provides pamphlets, books, and DVDs on cancer recovery and support for patients. There is also an arts and humanities therapy program to help cancer patients express themselves and deal with the challenges of cancer, as well as a pastoral program which helps to provide spiritual advice and answer spiritual questions cancer may have raised.

Along with other traditional methods of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center also offers an array of new treatments for cancer. The CyberKnife is one such newer therapy, which uses a focused laser beam in order to direct radiation to inoperable or remote tumors without causing damage to nearby tissue. This is important to sufferers of cancers like mesothelioma, where tumors may be next to vital body parts and cannot therefore be removed by surgical means. Other new and promising forms of therapy available include hormone therapy and monoclonal antibody therapy.

Patients are also able to engage in Phase I clinical trials, which allows them to have access to the newest forms of treatment. These clinical trials are organized by types of cancer, so a patient with mesothelioma may be able to enroll in clinical trials for new lung cancer therapies, for both acute treatment and maintenance therapies. Additionally, patients may enroll in and utilize the Jess and Mildred Fisher Center for Familial Cancer Research, which creates genetic profiles for patients with genetically-linked cancers in order to personalize therapy options and determine if they or loved ones are at risk for certain types of cancer.