Cancer Care
If you or a loved one has cancer, ECHN is here to help. ECHN provides all three major treatment options for cancer – radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery – as well as a wide range of other clinical and support services.
ECHN is affiliated with The John A. DeQuattro Community Cancer Center, located on the campus of Manchester Memorial Hospital, which offers treatment for cancer as well as coordinated care and support services.
People with cancer now can find all the cancer treatment services they need through ECHN.
- Cancer surgery is performed at both Manchester Memorial Hospital and Rockville General Hospital.
- Chemotherapy is provided right in the oncologists' offices, located at the Cancer Center.
- Radiation therapy, including external-beam and brachytherapy, is provided at the Cancer Center by skilled radiation oncologists and other professionals.
Support services at the DeQuattro Cancer Center for patients and their families include:
- Nutrition support (in which dietitians plan individualized nutrition plans based on each person's need and lifestyle)
- Social services (to help with the emotional and financial stresses of cancer)
- Pain management (to help relieve discomfort from cancer or its treatment)
- Pastoral care (for spiritual needs)
- Hospice care (to support and care for terminally ill patients)
- Home care (to help with symptom management, rehabilitation and coping skills, among others)
- Information about cancer (through its American Cancer Society resource library)
For individuals who will travel the difficult path created by a diagnosis of cancer, The John A. DeQuattro Community Cancer Center provides the services and treatments to cope with a disease that more people are surviving than ever before.
In addition, ECHN's comprehensive cancer services based at Manchester Memorial Hospital have earned approval by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, a designation given only to those facilities that have committed to providing the best in diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Read an interview with an ECHN oncologist on the warning signs of cancer.
Read an article on improvement in cancer treatment.
Read an article on cancer screening in women.
American Cancer Society Resource Center
The American Cancer Society maintains a resource center across the street from The John A. DeQuattro Community Cancer Center in Manchester that offers a wide range of information and support for people with cancer and their families.
Visitors are welcome at the resource center, which includes literature, books, and videos that can be borrowed. Computers are available to access the American Cancer Society's vast information database, which include on-line support groups. There also is information about local support groups.
The resource center has wigs, head coverings, and prostheses available to patients. Also available is information about the Cancer Society's "Road to Recovery" program, which offers transportation to and from appointments.
The resource center is located at 21 Alpine Street and is open weekdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The local telephone number is 860.643.2168 and is answered around the clock. Calls after hours are answered by the American Cancer Society's main headquarters, which also can be reached at a toll-free number, 1.800.ACS.2345 or at www.cancer.org
Need a doctor?
Click here to learn about the experienced and skilled oncologists (cancer specialists) on ECHN’s active medical staff.
Click here to search for a surgeon, primary-care provider, or other type of physician on the ECHN medical staff.
Free Mammography & Cervical Cancer Screenings
To support early detection, ECHN provides FREE mammography and cervical screening services to financially eligible women. These services are made possible with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Connecticut Department of Public Health's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, and the Manchester Chapter of UNICO National, which sponsors the Manchester Women's Breast Cancer Screening Program. For more information on these FREE services offered at various ECHN affiliates, call (860) 872-5368.
Breast Cancer: One-On-One Support
The American Cancer Society offers “Reach to Recovery.” Breast cancer survivors provide one-on-one support and information to help individuals cope with breast cancer. Specially trained survivors of breast cancer serve as volunteers, responding in person or by phone to the concerns of people facing a breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, recurrence, or recovery. If you or a loved one is in need of one-on-one support, please call our toll-free number, 1.800.227.2345. By calling our toll-free number you can speak to someone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Free Cancer Services Guide
Download our brochure entitled, "Guide to Community Services for Patients with Cancer and Their Families."
Cancer Center Tree of Life
Buy an engraved leaf on the Tree of Life at the DeQuattro Cancer Center, and your donation will be used to purchase anti-nausea medication for people with cancer who are unable to afford it to alleviate the effects of chemotherapy.
Online Giving
Make a charitable donation in support of ECHN’s cancer services.