A new cancer center in Verona will open up treatment options for patients east of the city of Syracuse.
The Upstate Cancer Center means patients from places like Lowville, Herkimer and areas throughout the North Country and Mohawk Valley, won’t have to travel to Syracuse for state-of-the-art cancer care. Upstate oncologist Dr. Linda Schicker said this cancer center, off the Verona exit of the state Thruway, is different because it offers patients a multidisciplinary approach to care.
"Studies have shown that people treated in a multi-disciplinary approach, where all the specialists get into a room and talk about them, do better," Schicker said. "They have higher cure rate, higher survivals. And when you have state-of-the-art equipment, it's not just about being cured, but it's about decreasing the toxicity of the treatment. And that's also very, that's just huge. "
Schicker said all kinds of cancer specialists will be rotating in and out of the 33,000-square-foot center. One of those doctors, urologist Dr. Gennady Bratslavsky, said the center opens up options for patients who may not be able to travel to Syracuse for appointments or therapy.
“Many of these patients are undergoing active treatment," Bratslavsky said. "So, for them, taking a 40-minute drive down the Thruway is not necessarily the most comforting thought."
The center is located on Oneida Indian Nation lands. It’s the first time the state and nation have come together to build a medical facility for an entire region on Native American lands.
