Ochsner Health is a system that delivers health to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate.
NEW ORLEANS – The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center at Ochsner Medical Center - Jefferson Highway (Benson Cancer Center) has released overall five-year survival rates* for the four most common types of cancer. The Benson Cancer Center surpassed national averages in each of the malignancies: breast, 95.8 percent; colon, 73.4 percent and lung, 27.3 percent and prostate, approaching 100 percent. National survival rates** are as follows: breast, 90 percent; colon, 64 percent; lung, 18 percent and prostate, 98 percent.
The five-year survival rate is the percentage of people in a treatment group who are alive at least five years after being diagnosed with or started treatment for cancer. It is based on population averages and is not a predictor of how long any one individual diagnosed with cancer will live. The disease may or may not be present after the five-year mark.
The Benson Cancer Center of the Ochsner Cancer Institute is led by Brian Moore, MD, FACS, a board-certified otolaryngologist who specializes in head and neck cancer surgery. He is also the chairman of Otorhinolaryngology and Communication Sciences for Ochsner Health System.
According to the American Cancer Society’s recently released “Cancer Statistics, 2019”, the death rate from cancer declined 27 percent nationwide between 1991 and 2016. This national decline has been attributed to efforts focusing on smoking cessation, improved early detection, and evolving treatment approaches. As a nationally-recognized leader in clinical research and innovation, Ochsner’s ability to deliver coordinated care, comprehensive screening and cutting-edge therapies have contributed to an even bigger improvement for patients treated in Ochsner facilities.
“The improved outcomes for cancer patients treated at Ochsner reflect the impact of our world-class team of cancer professionals, our multidisciplinary approach to each patient, and our organizational commitment to improving the health of not only all Louisianans, but all citizens of the Gulf South,” said Dr. Moore.
An Ochsner Health System-wide plan to aid in cancer prevention across the Gulf South is underway, aimed at improving outcomes for cancer patients in Louisiana. The plan focuses on increasing education and prevention efforts, screenings, and early detection across Louisiana and the region. The year-one goal was to increase cancer screenings in 2018 by 40,000, and by 2022, increase additional screenings to a total of 141,000. By the end of 2018, Ochsner had reached more than 53,000 new cancer screenings for that year, surpassing the first-year goal with an 18 percent increase over 2017 numbers.
The Benson Cancer Center is currently undergoing a $48 million addition, including a $20 million gift from the Bensons, that will double its size, increasing capacity to offer more high-quality cancer services and advanced clinical research and making it one of the leading comprehensive destinations for cancer care across a multi-state region. The expansion is scheduled to be complete in early 2020.
Ochsner’s specialists treat more than 32,000 cancer patients annually, from all 50 states and 28 countries. In total, Ochsner has 11 cancer treatment facilities throughout the state and is committed to providing exceptional cancer care where its patients live, in large and small communities alike, including one of the largest multidisciplinary Neuroendocrine Tumor Programs in the U.S. at Ochsner Medical Center- Kenner, attracting patients from around the globe, and a new hematology/oncology clinic at St. Charles Parish Hospital. The Ochsner-Baton Rouge Cancer Center offers similar services to residents in its metro area, with many treatments available at local Ochsner clinics and complexes across Baton Rouge, including its newest facility-- the medical complex at High Grove in Baton Rouge.
With the third highest cancer incidence rates in the U.S., Louisiana loses about 178 Louisianans each week to cancer. Those who live in Louisiana are 19 percent more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis over those in neighboring states of Texas and Florida. Although Louisiana continues to rank 49thoverall in the country for health outcomes, five-year cancer survival rates for patients treated at Ochsner continue to exceed the national average not only for the four major cancer malignancies, but also several other types, including melanoma, head and neck, pancreatic, ovarian and cervical cancers.
For more information about Benson Cancer Center or to make an appointment, please click here or call 866-624-7637.
*The reported data is of all stages (localized, regional and distant) at diagnosis combined and not divided by race, 2008-2014.
**Source: Cancer.Net
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Ochsner Health is Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system. Driven by a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate, coordinated clinical and hospital patient care is provided across the region by Ochsner's 40 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and specialty hospitals, and more than 100 health centers and urgent care centers. Ochsner is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Hospital” across three specialty categories caring for patients from all 50 states and more than 70 countries worldwide each year. Ochsner employs nearly 25,000 employees and over 4,500 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts more than 700 clinical research studies. Ochsner Health is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. For more information, please visit ochsner.org and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.