Breast & Cervical Cancer Services

The Breast and Cervical Cancer services were developed to serve medically underserved patient population of Alameda County Medical Center, and to provide a model that can be replicated at public hospitals throughout the country. These services are designed to provide all aspects of ambulatory care and prevention in a single location. These services will include prevention, education, screening, diagnosis, ambulatory treatment (primarily chemotherapy), follow-up support service, and research for breast, colon, cervical, and prostate cancer. Unfortunately, for the nation’s poor, such comprehensive care is rare, a fact which is reflected in the statistics: poor Americans have a higher incidence of cancer and a 10% to 15% lower five-year survival rate than the population as a whole.

A number of successful programs and activities are in place at Highland Campus to improve access and quality of cancer care. They are:

• Breast Care Center - Highland is currently in the process of reorganizing its breast cancer control services according to the comprehensive multidisciplinary Breast Care Center Model. This model unifies and coordinates all breast cancer services, including education, screening, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and related social services, according to a “one-stop” approach. This organizational model is expected to offer considerable advantages to Alameda County Medical Center clients. The concept emphasizes the importance of education and screening and provides culturally and socioeconomically sensitive programs designated to enhance continuity of care.
• Tumor Board - This multidisciplinary group meets weekly to consult on new and ongoing cancer cases. Private and primary care physicians are invited to attend when their patients are discussed.
• Cancer Navigator - One of only two such positions in the state, the navigator monitors, assists, and provides a consistent point of contact for ACMC cancer patients and their providers.
• Cancer Awareness Research and Education (CARE) Project - This four-year project, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is evaluating organizational and procedural interventions to improve follow-up of abnormal cancer screening tests and adherence to routine preventative care.
• Participation in Clinical Research - ACMC participates in a number of important research protocols. It is a major referral hospital for the Cancer Information Service operated by the Northern California Cancer Center and provides data for the SEER Cancer Registry for Northern California maintained by NCCC.