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Those with oncology jobs at one of the nation's most successful cancer centers are using a new treatment for the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Southwestern Regional Medical Center in Tulsa recently began offering a new melanoma treatment that actually uses a patient's own immune system to fight cancer.

The treatment, which has been dubbed Yervoy, is the first therapy for inoperable or metastatic melanoma approved by the Food and Drug Administration in more than 10 years.

"We are pleased to offer this breakthrough treatment for one of the deadliest forms of cancer," Steve Mackin, president of CTCA and CEO of SRMC, said in a statement. "At CTCA, we realize that time is precious when you or a loved one are fighting cancer. When an innovative treatment comes along, we do our best to bring this option to our patients quickly."

Yervoy is unique because it treats a patient's immune system instead of the direct tumor. The treatment is administered in four, 90-minute infusions over a period of three months. Patients who use the treatment have a higher survival rate after one and two years.

Here are some facts about melanoma:

• Metastatic melanoma occurs when cancer spreads beyond the skin surface to other organs.
• Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer.
• The cancer is usually curable in early stages, but in late stages has a survival rate of six months and a one-year mortality rate of 75 percent.
• The American Cancer Society reported that there were 68,000 new cases of melanoma and 8,700 deaths during 2009.
• The number of new melanoma cases in the U.S. has increased for the last 30 years.

Labels: Oncology jobs

There are a number of different oncology jobs available for medical doctors. Visit http://azjobs.cancercenter.com to see some current openings.

Oncologists are medical doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating patients with cancer. They may be responsible for everything from identifying a type of cancer and prescribing a treatment regimen to performing surgery and helping patients find end-of-life care.

Depending on their interests, oncology doctors can choose to specialize in a certain type of care within the field, with the most popular specializations including head and neck oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology.

Students who want to become an oncology doctor must first obtain the proper education, which includes an undergraduate degree and four years of medical school. They must then pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination, participate in a residency, and obtain certification in their specialty area.

According to Education-Portal.com, the four most popular oncology specialties:

• Head and neck oncology - Doctors who are certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology can work in this specialty, which deals with patients who have ear, nose, or throat related cancer.
• Medical oncology - Doctors who are certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine can work in this specialty to diagnose and treat cancerous tumors.
• Radiation oncology - Doctors who are certified by the American Board of Radiology can work in this specialty, which uses radiation therapy to treat patients with cancer and other non-cancerous conditions.
• Surgical oncology - Doctors who are certified by the American Board of Surgery can work in this specialty to perform surgery on patients with cancerous tumors and other growths.

Labels: Oncology jobs

A small number of oncology jobs will be created by a new round of funding for an up-and-coming cancer center.

The Del E. Webb Foundation recently announced that it will donate $2 million to the Arizona Cancer Center to support the new facility's recruiting and hiring efforts. Initially, the center plans to hire four medical oncologists and two radiation oncologists.

The cancer center's clinical operations are slated to begin this summer on the St. Joseph's Hospital campus in central Phoenix. Those operations will move to a new 250,000-square-foot outpatient facility on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus by 2013.

"We are extremely grateful to the Del E. Webb Foundation for this leadership gift to assist in the launch of our Arizona Cancer Center clinical and translational research programs in Phoenix," David S. Alberts, MD, director of the Arizona Cancer Center, said in a statement.

The Del E. Webb Foundation already has a strong relationship with Arizona Cancer Center, as it funded the Del E. Webb Laboratories for Basic Cancer Research on the third floor of the center's Sydney E. Salmon MD Building.

Since 1960, the Del E. Webb Foundation has supported organizations that provide medical services, engage in medical research, and operate educational facilities. They provide funding to organizations in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Labels: Oncology jobs

A new radiology center will create thousands of oncology jobs (Click here) in Ohio.

Ohio State University recently received a $100 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The funding will allow the university to build a radiation oncology center as part of a $1 billion expansion of the OSU Medical Center.

Construction of the new oncology center will create up to 5,000 temporary construction jobs; 6,000 permanent university jobs; and 4,000 jobs at businesses near the campus by 2015. Anyone applying for these positions may have to undergo an Ohio records check.

"(This award will) provide needed inpatient and outpatient clinical care, while at the same time making substantial improvements in their research capabilities," HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield told The Columbus Dispatch.

In recent years, the OSU Medical Center has seen an increased demand for radiation services used to treat cancer, but did not previously have the funding to expand those services. That being said, the new radiation oncology center is expected to improve the lives of numerous patients.

Funding for the grant was included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress last year. OSU beat out more than six other schools for the funding and was the only university chosen to receive the grant money.

In order to be eligible for the grant, OSU had to prove that the Medical Center is necessary in order to provide more access to healthcare throughout Ohio. In addition, the funding could not make up more than 40 percent of the total project cost.

Labels: Oncology jobs