SEATTLE – (May 11, 2016) — Survival rates for patients treated for a variety of cancers at Virginia Mason are among the best in the United States, recent national data shows.

“We credit these outcomes to our understanding that no cancer is ‘typical’ and we design a unique course of treatment for each patient that provides the best chance for recovery,” said John Corman, MD, medical director, Virginia Mason Cancer Institute. “These unique treatment plans are developed by our multidisciplinary teams that also closely monitor each patient throughout the course of treatment.

“Our targeted and focused approach results in better outcomes, shorter courses of care and a reduced financial burden for patients and their families,” he added.

Survival rates for patients treated for esophageal and pancreatic cancers at Virginia Mason are nearly double the national averages, according to the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program. To see five-year survival rates for these and other cancers treated at Virginia Mason and how these rates compare nationally, visit survival rates.  (Five-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least five years after their cancer is diagnosed.)

See Survivor Stories »»

“In addition to being driven to provide care that results in the highest survival rates for every presentation of cancer, we are committed to helping our patients successfully transition from active treatment to the life they had before cancer,” Dr. Corman said.

Multi-disciplinary teams of medical experts at Virginia Mason collaborate in planning and delivering evidence-based treatments for numerous types of cancer, including brain, breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, lung, pancreas, prostate and thyroid.

Watch video of surgeon Donald Low, MD, who treats esophageal cancer at Virginia Mason.

Virginia Mason is accredited as an academic cancer center by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer. Patients are referred to Virginia Mason by physicians throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Learn more about cancer care at Virginia Mason by calling (844) 800-2873 toll-free or online at VirginiaMason.org/Cancer.

About Virginia Mason Health System
Virginia Mason, founded in 1920, is a nonprofit regional health care system based in Seattle that serves the Pacific Northwest. In the Puget Sound region, the system includes 336-bed Virginia Mason Hospital; a primary and specialty care group practice of more than 500 physicians; regional medical centers in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Federal Way, Kirkland, Issaquah and Lynnwood; Bailey-Boushay House, the first skilled-nursing and outpatient chronic care management program in the U.S. designed and built specifically to meet the needs of people with HIV/AIDS; Benaroya Research Institute, which is internationally recognized for autoimmune disease research; and Virginia Mason Institute, which trains health care professionals and others from around the world in the Virginia Mason Production System, an innovative management methodology for continually improving quality, safety and efficiency. Virginia Mason online: VirginiaMason.org

Virginia Mason also includes Yakima-based Memorial Family of Services and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, a 226-bed facility serving the Yakima Valley in Central Washington since 1950. Memorial Family of Services comprises primary care practices and specialty care services, including high quality cardiac care, a continuum of cancer care, hospice care, and advanced services for children with special health care needs. Memorial online: YakimaMemorial.org

Media Contact:
Gale Robinette
Media Relations Manager
Virginia Mason Health System
(206) 341-1509
gale.robinette@VirginiaMason.org