RWJUH Somerset expands cancer center

The Steeplechase Cancer Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, unveiled a newly renovated outpatient office suite that expands medical oncology and infusion services.

Announced March 10, the work at the Somerville facility increased the size and number of exam rooms and doubled the size of the waiting room. The new office also features a space for patients who are receiving scalp-cooling therapy to help prevent hair loss.

As part of the upgrades, the cancer center doubled its infusion capacity for services such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, blood products and other IV therapies, according to RWJUH Somerset.

“The space was designed with optimized patient care in mind, making it even easier to provide access to the latest treatments, our expert staff and a wide array of services all within the welcoming, compassionate environment patients have come to expect from the Steeplechase Cancer Center,” Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Steeplechase medical director and regional director of oncology services for RWJBarnabas Health, said in a statement.

Established at RWJUH Somerset in 2007, the Steeplechase Cancer Center – together with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey – is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, according to the facility.

In addition to Toomey, patients can visit medical oncologists including Dr. Faye Yin, specializing in gynecology and breast oncology, and Dr. Eshan Patel, specializing in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and thoracic oncology. The cancer center also includes specially trained and nationally certified infusion nurses.

Additional offerings at Steeplechase Cancer Center include radiation therapy services, a PET/CT, infusion therapy, breast imaging services, lung cancer screening, nutritional counseling, genetic testing services, patient navigator services, survivorship care planning, the Sanofi US Wellness Boutique, support groups and wellness classes.

The renovations at the cancer center follow other recent upgrade announcements from RWJUH Somerset, including a renovated eating disorders unit and the topping-off of a 76,000-square-foot, two-story expansion that will house a new Orthopedic Center of Excellence.