HealthBreak | Montana Cancer Center

January 3, 2017

The Montana Cancer Center at Providence St. Patrick Hospital is made up of physicians, licensed therapists and oncology-certified nurses. "What I love most is that we are able to treat patients, here in Montana, with the highest-quality, most up-to-date care," says Anne Hoppie, RN - clinical manager of the Missoula cancer center. "And we treat them close to home." Many targeted - or immunotherapies - have recently been developed to treat cancer. "They use the patient's own immune system to target the cancer cells; thus they have fewer side-effects" Anne says. To help Missoula cancer patients get these life-saving drugs, the Montana Cancer Center worked with the state Board of Pharmacy to create a Cancer Drug Repository. "It's really a great program. We are now able to take oral chemotherapy, or other cancer drugs, back from patients who don't need them anymore - maybe their therapy has changed, and they have half a bottle of pills left," Anne explains. "We can recycle, or use those pills, for other patients. This is not only saving the environment from the disposal of hazardous chemotherapy drugs, but it's also helping patients financially. They are able to get some free medications if they qualify, and get medications much faster." To learn more, visit http://www.mtcancer.com

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