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Samaritan Regional

Contact Information

501 NW Elks Drive Corvallis, OR 97330
(541) 768-5220

Samaritan Regional Cancer Center is a division of the Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center. It is located in Corvallis, Oregon, and works with 3rd and 4th year medical students in internships and rotations. The Samaritan Hematology and Oncology Consultants practice is on-site; patients seen by one of these physicians receive treatment at the Cancer Center. Dedicated in 1995, the Samaritan Regional Cancer Center has received the highest rating by the Commission on Cancer, and is a member of the Association of Community Cancer Centers.

Samaritan Regional Cancer Center specializes in advanced technology radiation therapy for cancer treatment. Specific types of therapy available include external beam radiation therapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), 3-D conformal radiation therapy, as well as systemic and investigational radiation therapies.

Patients with mesothelioma may benefit from treatment at the center because of the specialties in external beam and IMRT, as both are approved forms of therapy for malignant mesothelioma. External beam radiation uses a machine outside the body that does not touch the skin to direct radiation at the tumor. The center uses a multileaf collimation system to deliver the beam, which shields the healthy tissue around the tumor while delivering radiation to cancer cells. Intensity modulation therapy is a specific type of 3-D conformal therapy that splits the radiation beam into numerous “mini-beams”, permitting the radiation to target the tumor’s precise shape; this means less radiation delivered to healthy surrounding tissue.

IGRT will soon be employed by radiation oncologists at the Cancer Center. This is another type of conformal therapy that utilizes imaging equipment, such as CT or X-ray, to take a series of images of the area affected by the tumor. Using these images, physicians can determine if treatment needs to be altered over time. Again, this type of therapy means less radiation to surrounding healthy tissue. Systemic therapy employs radioactive isotopes, often swallowed or injected, to treat cancers of the bone and thyroid.

Investigational radiation therapies are limited in their use because they are considered experimental, but patients may discuss with their oncologist whether such treatments may be beneficial. Clinical trials are organized through the National Cancer Institute and sponsors such as the American Cancer Society. Patients who are interested in participation should discuss available trials with their doctors.

A number of patient support and special services are available at Samaritan Regional Cancer Center, as the center tries to make each patient as comfortable as possible. Samaritan is currently working to create a number of landscaping features, such as gardens and a privately screened courtyard, for patient enjoyment. Music, art projects, and Chinese calligraphy classes are offered to patients by a local arts group in partnership with the hospital.

A hospital cafeteria and vending machines provide meals to in-house patients and are open to the public. For convenience, an ATM is available for cash withdrawals. Good Sam’s Gift Shop is open five days a week and offers snacks, gift ideas, and reading material. A 24-hour chapel is open to everyone on the hospital campus and features a variety of spiritual reading materials.

For patients and their families coming in from out of town for treatment, lower rates at hotels in the area are available, as is space at the Mario Pastega Hospitality House. Patients should call ahead to make arrangements. Patients with special needs are not forgotten. Sign and foreign language interpreters are available as needed, large-print and talking books are offered for those with visual impairment, and listening devices can aid those with hearing impairments.