Care Team

Oncology Nurses:
Oncology nursing is a specialization of nursing. Here at NCS oncology nurses educate and counsel patients and their families as well as administer chemotherapy, interpret and manage treatment-related side effects, coordinate community and medical services, and provide palliative care. Many times our nurses are the initial contact for our patients.  They must be able to recognize the altered presentations of illness and side effects as well as pharmacologic differences in the use of commonly prescribed drugs.

Over time our nurses become not only key providers but also a secondary family for those receiving treatment.  By trying to look at the whole picture our nurses are patient advocates, teaching patients cancer is just part of their life and not their whole life.

Radiation Oncology Nurses
Radiation oncology nurses work together with radiation oncologists and radiation therapists to care for you and your family during your radiation treatments. They will explain the possible side effects you may experience and describe how you can manage them. They will assess how you are doing throughout treatment and will help you cope with the changes you may experience. They will also provide support and counseling to you and your family.

Radiation Therapists
Radiation therapists work with radiation oncologists to administer the daily radiation treatment under the doctor's prescription and supervision. They maintain daily records and regularly check the treatment machines to make sure they are working properly.

Medical Radiation Physicists
Qualified medical physicists work directly with the radiation oncologist during treatment planning and delivery. They oversee the work of the dosimetrist and help ensure that complex treatments are properly tailored for each patient. Medical physicists are responsible for developing and directing quality control programs for equipment and procedures. Their responsibility also includes making sure the equipment works properly by taking precise measurements of the radiation beam and performing other safety tests on a regular basis.

Dosimetrists
Dosimetrists carefully calculate the dose of radiation to make sure the tumor gets enough radiation. Using computers, they work to develop a number of treatment plans that can best destroy the tumor while sparing normal tissue. Since treatment plans are often very complex, dosimetrists work with the radiation oncologist and the medical physicist to choose the treatment plan that is right for you.

Laboratory:
At Northwest Cancer Specialists the Lab is an integral member of the cancer care team. Generally, the first contact the patient has with the medical staff is in the laboratory. The samples are collected and almost all of the testing is performed within the NCS system. We are a full service lab performing hematological testing, blood chemistry levels, specific cancer antigen testing as well as many other general medical lab tests. Performing these tests, in our clinics, mean that our doctors can utilize these results to make medical decisions in a very timely manner, often during the patients same day appointment. Accuracy and efficiency are paramount in each stage of our testing as we assist with the diagnosis and monitoring each patient that visits us at NCS.

Financial Counseling:
They will help answer your questions about the cost of treatment and, on your behalf, handle insurance inquiries, verifications and claims processing. For patients whose insurance coverage is inadequate or the insurance company chooses not to cover services, our financial counselors can help identify assistance programs that may offer help in meeting financial obligations.