Julian Schink, MD, Named Chief of Gynecologic Oncology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America®

BOCA RATON, Fla., July 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) is proud to welcome Julian Schink, MD, as Chief of Gynecologic Oncology. He will also serve as Medical Director of Gynecologic Oncology and Medical Oncology at CTCA® at Midwestern Regional Medical Center, Zion, Ill. A nationally renowned, board certified gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Schink brings more than 30 years of oncology experience to the organization, specializing in surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and targeted therapy treatments for patients with gynecologic cancers.

Dr. Schink will oversee the national Gynecologic Oncology Program at CTCA, serving patients in the treatment of cervical, ovarian, uterine, and vaginal and vulvar cancers and gestational trophoblastic diseases. In partnership with his team of distinguished CTCA gynecologic oncologists across the country, CTCA will meet the unique treatment needs of each patient – with precision medicine at its core.

"As a gynecologic oncologist, my single, most important goal is to fight cancer, and I am honored to join a premier leader in treating people living with cancer and one that shares my commitment to delivering high-quality, personalized care to patients," Schink said. "Advances in gynecologic oncology, including robotic surgery, have helped cancer patients become survivors and are evolving every day. Through the national Gynecologic Oncology Program at CTCA, my goal is to ensure we help advance these innovations to meet the needs of patients when they need us most."

Under the guidance of Dr. Schink, the CTCA Gynecologic Oncology Program will include:

• Robotic surgery: The da Vinci^® Surgical System offers a minimally invasive alternative to both open surgery and laparoscopy. Because it requires only a few tiny incisions and offers greater vision, precision and control for the surgeon, patients can often recover sooner, move on to additional treatments if needed, and get back to daily life quicker. Potential benefits of the da Vinci system for patients include: reduced pain, lower risk of infection or complications, less blood loss (fewer transfusions), shorter hospital stays, less scarring due to smaller incisions and faster return to normal activities (e.g., sexual function, urinary continence).
• National gynecologic tumor board: Dr. Schink and his team will focus on harnessing the collective expertise of all CTCA gynecologic oncologists by establishing a national tumor board to break down barriers and provide physicians with access to the perspectives and insights of their colleagues across the country. Several national tumor boards are already in practice at CTCA and have proven successful at ensuring patients receive the highest standard of care.
• Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC): Dr. Schink and his team will focus on the expanded use of HIPEC as a treatment option for gynecological cancer. This treatment option is for people who have advanced surface spread of cancer within the abdomen, without disease involvement outside of the abdomen. Unlike systemic chemotherapy delivery, which circulates throughout the body, HIPEC delivers chemotherapy directly to cancer cells in the abdomen. This allows for higher doses of chemotherapy treatment. Heating the solution may also improve the absorption of chemotherapy drugs by tumors and destroy microscopic cancer cells that remain in the abdomen after surgery.

"The addition to our team of an outstanding and distinguished physician such as Dr. Schink ensures the national Gynecologic Oncology Program will continue to provide patients with cutting-edge treatments as precision medicine continues to have a greater emphasis on the field," said Maurie Markman, MD, President of Medicine and Science, CTCA.

Dr. Schink joins CTCA from Spectrum Health, where he served as vice president of improvement and integration. He has held numerous academic positions, including vice chair of obstetrics and gynecology and professor at the University of Wisconsin Medical School; an endowed professorship as the John I Brewer Professor of gynecology and cancer research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Michigan State University. He has also served as principal investigator and co-investigator for many large clinical trials responsible for improving and expanding cancer treatment options.

Licensed in Illinois and Michigan, Dr. Schink has been a member of and held leadership positions at several medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation.

To learn more about the national Gynecologic Oncology Program, visit cancercenter.com.

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America® 
Cancer Treatment Centers of America Global, Inc. (CTCA), headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., is a national network of five hospitals that serves adult patients who are fighting cancer. CTCA® offers an integrative approach to care that combines advancements in genomic testing and precision cancer treatment, surgery, radiation, immunotherapy and chemotherapy, with evidence-informed supportive therapies designed to help patients physically and emotionally by enhancing their quality of life while managing side effects both during and after treatment. CTCA serves patients from around the world at its hospitals in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Tulsa. Reflecting our patient-centered approach to cancer care, our patient satisfaction scores consistently rank among the highest in the country for cancer care providers, and CTCA is also rated one of the most admired hospital systems in the country in national consumer surveys. For more information, visit cancercenter.com, Facebook.com/cancercenter and Twitter.com/cancercenter.  

Contact:
Abigail Obre
[email protected]
(561) 923-3198

SOURCE Cancer Treatment Centers of America

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