Mass General Cancer Center at Emerson Hospital - Bethke
The Mass General Cancer Center at Emerson Hospital - Bethke brings together experienced cancer specialists, leading-edge technology and the latest treatment options from the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology and Medical Oncology. All of these services are conveniently available right in your community. Emerson’s close collaboration with Boston’s top cancer programs means you get the best of both worlds.
Inside the Cancer Center, you’ll find:
- Expert specialists including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons and other clinicians
- State-of-the-art technology and advanced therapies in a spacious, light-filled setting
- Sophisticated diagnostic imaging to detect cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage
- A long-standing commitment to cancer prevention and genetic counseling
Where technology meets expertise.
Our experienced radiology staff collaborate with cancer specialists and use the latest diagnostic imaging, including a 64-slice CT scanner, MRI scanner, ultrasound, bone scans, digital mammography and PET/CT—the newest approach to this important screening tool. All to determine your individualized treatment plan.
Many biopsy techniques don’t require surgery thanks to new image-guided techniques. Our talented pathology staff plays an important role in diagnosing cancer by examining tissues, tumors and blood samples to define the extent of the cancer and how it may respond to various treatments.
Quality Accreditations
The Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology at Bethke, achieved the American College of Radiology (ACR) Accreditation. ACR accreditation means that we have met rigorous standards for the qualifications of personnel, policies and procedures, equipment specifications, quality assurance activities, patient safety and ultimately the quality of patient care.
Integrative Therapies
The Cancer Center provides integrative therapies, also known as complementary therapies, which can be very effective in addressing nausea, pain and fatigue and in bolstering the immune system. We encourage you to speak with your physician if you are interested in combining acupuncture, yoga, Reiki, herbs or other complimentary therapies with your cancer treatment.
Support Services and Groups
Through the Center for Sports Rehabilitation and Specialty Services, you have access to cancer-related physical, occupational and speech therapy during and after treatment. Therapists are trained to evaluate the early signs of lymphedema, often successfully minimizing this complication of breast cancer. Plus, specialists from Emerson Home Care can provide support in the home and care coordination if a Hospice referral is desired.
Emerson’s Social Work department can help coordinate and integrate support services at any time from initial diagnosis through treatment and beyond. Practitioners from all of the support services work collaboratively with our medical oncology teams to provide the best care. The Cancer Center is dedicated to its patients and continues to provide care and support after active treatment through these and other survivorship programs.
Genetic Testing and Counseling
Some cancers have a genetic component; meaning they tend to run in families. That’s why our medical oncologists provide screening and referrals for genetic testing to help determine your cancer risk. For more information, please call 978-287-3436.
Open Clinical Trials
Clinical trials can answer questions about new ways to find, diagnose, treat and prevent cancer, as well as manage its symptoms. Many of today’s treatments resulted from information learned in past research trials.
Over the past 15 years, clinical trials have been an important part of the comprehensive cancer program at the Cancer Center. The decision to take part in a clinical trial is very personal. You should talk to your physician and consider the risks and benefits of a study before agreeing to participate.
Schwartz Center Rounds
Emerson Hospital hosts Schwartz Center Rounds. These are unique, multi-disciplinary sessions in which the emotional side of caregiving is explored. A national program with sites across the country, Schwartz Center Rounds are supported by the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing compassionate healthcare.
In a typical Rounds session, a panel of caregivers from multiple disciplines present a patient case that brought up interesting and important psychosocial issues. Recent topics have included "Electronic Communication and the Patient-Caregiver Relationship", "When the Caregiver Becomes the Patient" and "Caring for the Patient Who Does Not Care." Participants then share their own thoughts and feelings related to the topic.
Unlike grand rounds, these sessions are not about clinical problem-solving, but rather about exploring and processing the emotions that come up in the daily work of hospital staff. A comprehensive study of Schwartz Center Rounds has shown them to help caregivers connect better with patients emotionally; enhance their understanding of the effects of illness on patients and their families; improve communication among caregivers and decrease feelings of caregiver isolation and stress.
For more information about Schwartz Center Rounds, visit
www.theschwartzcenter.org