Newsletter 
SEARCH ARTICLES
NEWSLETTER
JORDAN PYSZ / iFoundMyDoctor.com
Dr. Roh is the chief physician executive for oncology services with the Lee Health Cancer Institute.
According to American Cancer Society projections, more than 2 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the US in 2024. The organization also expects more than 611,000 deaths from cancer this year, which works out to more than 1,600 each day.
Residents of Southwest Florida are assured access to leading-edge cancer treatments and support services through the comprehensive cancer program at Lee Health, Florida’s largest public health system.
“Lee Health Cancer Institute is relatively new,” observes Mark Roh, MD, chief physician executive for oncology services with the program. “Lee Health has always offered cancer care, but in the past it was delivered by private physicians and wasn’t a cohesive program.
“About five years ago, Lee Health decided to create the cancer institute. Our main campus, the Regional Cancer Center, has two buildings totaling 100,000 square feet. All types of cancer treatments are delivered. The institute also has a full-service facility in Estero, and we plan to open a cancer center in Cape Coral.”
The foundational cancer treatments provided include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
“The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the cancer as possible,” Dr. Roh informs. “In most cases, surgery is performed first, and it is often followed by chemotherapy. But for certain advanced cancers or large tumors, patients may receive chemotherapy first followed by surgery.”
Chemotherapy uses strong medicines to kill cancer cells. It is a systemic therapy, meaning it travels through the entire body via the bloodstream. Therefore, any cell with a blood supply is exposed to the chemotherapy drugs. That includes cancer cells.
“Cancer cells replicate quickly, so they are very active,” Dr. Roh educates. “Chemotherapy homes in on those actively growing cells and causes cell death. It interferes with the cancer cells’ ability to survive, thus destroying them.
“Radiation therapy does not treat the entire body. Rather, it treats one localized area with focused, high-energy rays. For certain advanced cancers, patients may undergo radiation as well as chemotherapy before or after surgery because they work synergistically. Radiation increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy.”
Lee Health Cancer Institute also provides an array of support services.
“The journey starts when patients are told they have cancer,” Dr. Roh asserts. “They’re typically very emotional at this time and have lots of questions. We understand that, so we take care of patients during their entire journey, even before they receive any therapy.
-Dr. Roh
“As you can imagine, most patients are overwhelmed and stressed by their cancer diagnosis. The institute’s staff includes nurse navigators who essentially take patients by the hand and guide them through their cancer journey. They make sure patients fully understand their situation and help them keep their appointments.”
In addition to medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology and nurse navigation, Lee Health Cancer Institute also offers genetic counseling, social work services, nutritional services, financial counseling, infusion services, stress management, a specialty pharmacy and cancer rehabilitation.
“All of our providers share a common goal: to cure cancer and do it as safely and quickly as possible,” Dr. Roh maintains. “That’s our guiding vision.”
Leave a Reply