Cleveland Clinic is home to Florida’s cancer care team, delivering world class care
By Zeina Nahleh, MD, FACP
After a century of caring for patients, including more than three decades in Florida, Cleveland Clinic knows what matters most to patients facing a cancer diagnosis. Patients want to have access to high quality, comprehensive cancer services close to home.
Cleveland Clinic’s five-hospital regional health system spanning southeast Florida is part of a global, physician-led organization that provides outstanding patient care guided by a “Patients First” philosophy. The nonprofit, multispecialty, academic medical center integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.
Commitment to industry standards
Cleveland Clinic’s three cancer centers in Florida include the Maroone Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, and the Scully-Welsh Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. They work together to ensure patients receive the care they need, including access to leading treatment options and clinical trials.
The Florida-based cancer care team also harnesses the full resources of the Cleveland Clinic enterprise, including collaboration with the Taussig Cancer Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, which is one of the top cancer centers in the country and part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Each Florida cancer center has independently earned recognition for providing quality cancer care, including accreditation by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer® and designation as Radiation Oncology Accredited Facilities by the American College of Radiology.
Advanced cancer treatments
Cleveland Clinic’s multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists in Florida work together to address malignancies in virtually every part of the body using evidenced-based modalities and the latest research. They treat most forms of solid tumor and blood cancers, including:
- Breast cancer
- Lung cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- GI cancer
- Gynecologic cancer
- Head and neck cancer
- Leukemia and lymphoma
Collaboration across specialties
Teams of specialists conduct weekly cancer conferences to review and discuss cases and develop personalized treatment plans that may include:
- Expert surgical care with access to minimally invasive and robot-assisted approaches
- Chemotherapy or immunotherapy treatments delivered in infusion suites focused on patient safety and comfort
- Advanced radiation therapies using state-of-the-art technology, including intensity modulated radiation therapy and intraoperative radiation therapy
- Participation in clinical trials and cancer research under the direction of leading physician scientists
Research-driven, personalized breast cancer care
The introduction of targeted precision therapy and immunotherapy has led to a new era of tailored breast cancer therapies that considers a patient’s genetic makeup; tumor composition at the detailed biological level; medical history; and response to therapy. Many drugs have been developed in the last decade that target specific types of breast cancer, including Hormone Receptor positive, HER2-positive or triple negative breast cancer with several subtypes within each group.
Cleveland Clinic is contributing to this new era of personalized medicine by focusing on several clinical trials for breast cancer, including expanding the use of immunotherapy. Florida-based researchers are participating in ongoing studies of novel drugs designed to interrupt cancer cell growth, and identify less intensive and toxic treatment options in early stages of specific types of cancer and certain metastatic breast cancers.
Patient navigation services
Cleveland Clinic Florida has a team of 18 specially trained patient navigators who streamline care team communication and provide patients with step-by-step guidance. They enhance the patient experience and the delivery of cancer care by increasing cancer treatment adherence, reducing care delays, promoting education and lifestyle changes, and providing emotional and psychosocial support throughout a patient’s cancer journey.
As a leading cancer care team serving South Florida and the Treasure Coast, Cleveland Clinic Florida provides patients the compassionate, comprehensive care they deserve close to home. And that makes all the difference.
To learn more about cancer services, visit ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/Cancer or call (877) 463-2010 to schedule an appointment.
Dr. Zeina Nahleh is Regional Institute Chair for Cancer at Cleveland Clinic Florida and Center Director of the Maroone Cancer Center
