We believe in life without cancer.
At ECU Health, we are transforming cancer care in eastern North Carolina. Our dedicated team of cancer doctors and staff provides high-quality, evidence-based care, offering new hope for renewed life. With a focus on hematology-oncology, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and interventional radiation, we ensure you have access to cutting-edge treatments close to home.
We offer screenings, prevention, early detection and intervention and are committed to coordinated patient care. Whether you’re seeking oncology nearby or looking for advanced treatment options, ECU Health Cancer Care supports you every step of the way. Our team treats all types of cancer using the latest technologies, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy, ensuring the highest clinical standards.
Early Detection is Key
We believe in the power of early. Early detection and early treatment can make a tremendous difference in your life and the lives of those you love. Knowing your risk can give you the power of early. No matter what you need, it’s all here.
ECU Health Cancer Care is not a single place. It is a fierce commitment to turn the tide against cancer in eastern North Carolina. We aim to improve the health and well-being of the 1.4 million people who call this region home — because we believe in life without cancer.
Read the 2023 ECU Health Medical Center Cancer Care Annual Report.
Power Up for Prevention
Our “Power Up” series offers free educational events across the region to raise cancer awareness and encourage early detection. Men and women of all ages participate in early detection and cancer screenings.
The events and screenings cover different types of cancer and vary across the region. To learn more about upcoming events in your area, visit the Events page.
Visit our breast cancer page for information on screenings, symptoms, assessments and more.
Cancer Care Expertise
Why ECU Health Cancer Care?
When you become our patient, your case is thoroughly reviewed by a multidisciplinary team that includes oncologists, surgeons, nurses and specialists in hematology-oncology, radiation therapy and interventional radiation. This collaborative approach ensures that we create the best, personalized treatment plan for your specific type of cancer.
The most important person on your cancer care team is you. Our cancer doctors will keep you informed every step of the way, explaining your diagnosis and treatment options in ways that everyone can understand.
At ECU Health Cancer Care, we stay on the cutting edge by offering the latest in chemotherapy, radiation therapy and interventional radiation. Our advanced cancer treatments often include the newest screening tests and minimally invasive surgical techniques, many of which are available before other providers in the region have access to them.
We actively participate in and promote clinical trials, giving you access to treatment options that would not otherwise be available.
When you’re dealing with cancer, it’s important to have easy access to the medicine and supplies that are crucial to your treatment. The ECU Health Specialty Pharmacy at ECU Health Cancer Care at the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower in Greenville, North Carolina, provides convenient access to cancer prescription medications and specialty items.
No matter where you live in eastern North Carolina, expert cancer care is never far away. ECU Health Cancer Care spans nine hospitals, five radiation oncology sites, three joint ventures and numerous outpatient clinics. The heart of our system is the ECU Health Cancer Care at the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower in Greenville, North Carolina, providing both inpatient and outpatient cancer services, including hematology-oncology, interventional radiation and radiation therapy.
We understand how important it is to be confident in your treatment plan. Many patients seek a second opinion from our cancer doctors after receiving a diagnosis elsewhere. At ECU Health, those seeking a second opinion receive the same comprehensive evaluation as all new patients, ensuring they have all the information needed to make informed treatment decisions.
There’s no time to rest in the fight against cancer. As the leading resource for academic medicine in eastern North Carolina, our partnerships with providers offer advanced treatment options and care plans for patients across the region. With new technologies, providers can collaborate in real-time with multidisciplinary teams of experts working together to create a customized treatment plan for your unique cancer journey. ECU Health Cancer Care is not a single place. It is a fierce commitment to turn the tide against cancer for eastern North Carolina. Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of the 1.4 million people who proudly call this region home – because we believe in life without cancer.
Genetics Services
Your doctor may refer you to see a genetics counselor and have genetic testing if you have a personal or family history of cancer. Please call 252-816-2273 for an appointment or to speak to a nurse, please call 252-816-RISK.
For additional information about genetic risk assessment, cancer syndromes, testing and counseling please go to the NCI website.
Genetics Education
Genetic testing starts with an educational session that includes the process for testing, privacy acts, consents, and other information and/or considerations. The education session covers many of the topics discussed in the video below and allows for you to ask questions before moving forward with genetic testing. Click here for more on Genetics Education.
Pre-Test Genetics Counseling
Pre-test Counseling for genetics can be completed via telephone, telehealth visit or in-person visit. This counseling helps you to understand if you meet the guidelines for testing, gives you an opportunity to ask more questions if needed, and helps to determine what genetic tests best meet your screening needs.
Genetic Panel
After the pre-test consult is complete, in consultation with your physician and genetic counselor, a genetic panel is recommended for testing. The selected panel will include a varying number of genes to be included for testing. Once the gene panel is selected you will be called to provide a sample for testing. You may choose to have the test completed via bloodwork at our lab or provide a saliva sample through an at-home mail kit.
Results
Once the result comes back from the lab, you will be notified and setup with a post-test consultation. The results will be one or a combination of the following for each specified gene.
- Positive Genetic Test Results could alert you to a significantly higher probability of getting cancer at an early age and throughout life. Although only 10 percent of cancers come from predetermined genetics passed through your parents, this subset of patients may have up to a 5-fold increase in cancer risk. This may lead to recommendations for increased and/or early screening. Most enhanced screenings that meet the guidelines are covered by insurance and in some cases preventative surgery may also be covered by insurance.
- Negative Test Results do not eliminate your cancer risk, but are a reassuring finding. Through the genetic consultation process we look at all risk factors utilizing an evidence-based approach. As a result of the genetic consulting session, the 5-year and lifetime risk for various cancers are numerically calculated and given to you. This information may still qualify you for high-risk screening and/or you may speak to a provider about reducing those risk factors.
- A Variant of Unknown Significance (VUS) is neither positive nor negative. It simply means the identified mutation or variant is still being researched. When more information is learned, most VUS’ become negative results, however there is a small risk of it becoming positive at some point in the future as well. Updates on the significance of these findings will be communicated by the testing company. You can also reach out to your physician or genetic counselor to inquire about updates on your VUS results.
Since your panel may contain many genes, there could be many variations of results containing Positives, Negatives, and VUS’.
Post-Test Consultation
Once the result is communicated to you, it is important to speak with a Board Certified Genetics Counselor, to better understand the meaning of your results. During the post-test consultation, a genetics counselor will review next steps such as:
- For a Positive result, it may mean notifying family members of the need to have testing completed and providing them forms to receive possible free testing. A positive result will include a numerical value of your lifetime cancer risk for various types of cancers so that you can be referred to high risk screening, surgical oncology, or lifestyle medicine.
- For VUS or Negative results, patients are also assessed for their personalized screening needs based on their lifetime risk score as well as utilizing the evidence-based models that look at more than just genetic risk.
Treatments & Technologies
The types, locations and stages of cancer are extensive. That’s why the selection of treatments and technologies available to you with ECU Health Cancer Care are also comprehensive and extensive, from chemotherapy and radiation therapy to interventional radiation. Each cancer is different than the next, and each treatment plan is unique to that cancer — and to you. Services across eastern North Carolina make getting care easier and more convenient. So pay attention to changes in your body, health status and symptoms that linger, and be vigilant with age-appropriate health screenings and early detection programs.
Browse our health library for all of your cancer research needs.
Gynecological oncology is a medical specialty that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cancers affecting the female reproductive system, including ovarian, uterine, cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers. Gynecologic oncologists provide comprehensive care, encompassing surgical intervention, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, while emphasizing early detection and prevention strategies to support patients throughout their treatment journey.
- Open, laparoscopic and robotic surgery
- Comprehensive surgical staging and sentinel lymph node mapping
- Chemotherapy (cytoxics and biological agents)
- Radiation therapy/Stereotactic radiosurgery
- Genetics testing/counseling
- Clinical trials
- Advanced imaging
- Tissue banking
- Laboratory testing including next generation sequencing
- Lifestyle medicine
Medical oncology involves the diagnosis and treatment of cancer using therapies such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted treatments.
Radiation oncology treats cancer using radiation therapy. Radiation oncologists employ high-energy radiation to precisely target and destroy cancer cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
- Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI)
- Brachytherapy
- CyberKnife®
- GammaTile
- Gamma Knife®
- Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT)
- Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
- Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Machine
- Lutathera, Lu177
- Optical Surface Motion System (OSMS)
- Prostate seed implants
- Pluvicto (Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen)
- SAVI® Breast Brachytherapy for Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation
- Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT)
- Three-Dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT)
- Varian TrueBeam™
- Xofigo (Radium 223)
Surgical oncology is a medical specialty focused on the surgical treatment of cancer. Surgical oncologists perform procedures to remove tumors and surrounding tissue, as well as conduct biopsies for diagnosis.
Cancer testing includes various procedures to detect cancer, identify its type, and check its stage. Let our experienced team at the Cancer Prevention Clinic help develop a personalized plan that can determine your risks, educate you on ways to reduce your risks and screen for cancer to help find it early, when it’s easier to treat.
What to Expect
No matter where you live in eastern North Carolina, you’re not far from the highest-quality medical, educational, and emotional resources you need. Our team of cancer doctors and specialists is here to provide help and hope to cancer patients, survivors and their families. Whether you’re searching for oncology near me or need support during your cancer journey, we are here for you.
Your Diagnosis
At ECU Health, you have access to the latest screening and testing tools and technologies, including those used in hematology-oncology and radiation therapy. We collaborate with your primary care physician, cancer doctors and other specialists to quickly diagnose your condition, including proper staging. Rest assured, we will thoroughly evaluate your condition before recommending treatment options.
Your Treatment
Our multidisciplinary team treats your cancer with the latest technologies and the highest clinical standards. Your personalized treatment plan may include advanced radiation therapy, chemotherapy, interventional radiation and minimally invasive surgical procedures. We also offer alternative therapies such as genetic testing, immunotherapy or participation in clinical trials to ensure you receive the most effective care possible.
Awards & Accreditations
We’re proud to deliver award-winning cancer care that is recognized for exemplary clinical performance and exceptional patient service. Our team of cancer doctors and specialists in hematology-oncology continually strives to exceed national benchmarks in care quality. Hospitals that receive these accreditations are committed to improving patient outcomes through evidence-based practices, ensuring a safe and cutting-edge environment for cancer care, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Awards
- Magnet Recognition
- 1 of Us Grant
- Community Hospital Center of Excellence – Thoracic Oncology
- CEO Cancer Gold Standard™
- American Cancer Society Transportation Grant
- UNC LIFT Grant for Financial Navigation
- GammaTile ELITE Recognition
- ECU Health Medical Center – The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for brain tumor care
Accreditations
- American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (ACoS CoC), Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program
- National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC)
- Accreditation in Radiation Oncology by American College of Radiology (Vidant Radiation Oncology)
- Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation by Accreditation Commission for Health Care
About our Accreditations
ECU Health Cancer Care is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (ACoS CoC) and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancer (NAPBC). We have five centers accredited for the CoC, including ECU Health Medical Center, which is accredited as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program (ACAD). ECU Health Roanoke Chowan Hospital, ECU Health Beaufort Hospital, ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital and The Outer Banks Hospital are accredited by the CoC as Community Cancer Programs (CCP). Both ECU Health Medical Center and The Outer Banks Hospital are accredited by the NAPBC. These accreditations are on a three-year review cycle and continue to hold cancer programs and services to providing high quality, comprehensive, state-of-the-art cancer care.
Cancer Care News
Stay up-to-date on all things ECU Health Cancer Care with the important headlines below. Visit the Newsroom for news and information from across the health system.
Need help or have a question?
Call 252-816-2273