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Sylvester Comprehensive

Contact Information

1475 N.W. 12th Ave. Miami, FL 33136
(305) 243-1000

The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, or SCCC, located in Miami, Florida, is affiliated with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. SCCC's team of 250 doctors and specialists takes in more than 1,500 inpatient cases each year with its capacity of 40 beds, and SCCC's 4 surgery suites help to treat over 4,000 total cases annually. Additionally there is also a large research program at SCCC, which is currently undertaking over 200 clinical trials, and receives an annual research budget of over $33 million.

In addition to treating patients from the Southeastern United States, SCCC also aims to provide the best cancer care for patients in the Carribean, as well as Central and South America. While not yet designated a cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, SCCC is working on acquiring this designation in the near future.

Research is a large priority at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, reflected by its current 229 clinical trials, and its large annual research budget of. These research programs are generally organized by the type of cancer they are intended to study and treat. Additionally, SCCC has a clinical trial matching program which helps to match patients who may qualify to participate in clinical trials to various research programs which may be beneficial for them. There is also a tumor registry database to help study the efficacy of different treatment plans and outcomes for patients with different types and stages of cancer, which can help with prognoses and future treatment plans.

Similar to many highly-acclaimed cancer centers, the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center utilizes a site-based approach to cancer treatment, whereby physicians with experience in research and treating specific forms of cancer are matched with patients who have a given cancer in order to provide the best possible care. The ramifications of this for a person with mesothelioma, a cancer linked to inhaling asbestos on job sites, is that they would be matched up with a doctor who specializes in lung cancers. This physician then works with surgeons, nurse practitioners, and radiation oncologists who have trained in treating this type of cancer to provide an optimal level of care, since different treatment methods are used for different cancers. For example, with mesothelioma, targeted radiation therapy and chemotherapy are generally used more often than surgery.

The latest in treatment technology is available at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, along with traditional methods of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The NanoKnife is a unique innovation which is offered, providing electrical energy directed directly at tumors to kill them, which can be useful for cancers such as mesothelioma where traditional surgery may not be effective or feasible due to the locations of the tumors. The CyberKnife available at SCCC uses a similar principle, where focused radiation is used to treat tumors without harming nearby tissue.

Support services are also available at SCCC, including patient and family support groups, a beauty store which provides wigs, turbans, and other aesthetic items a cancer survivor may want, and even an art therapy program.