Ovarian Cancer Survivor Julie Stoner of Perry Celebrates Life at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® Midwestern Regional Medical Center

ZION, IL (June 10, 2011) – Today, Julie Stoner, a stage III-C ovarian cancer survivor, attended Celebrate Life^® 2011 at Cancer Treatment Centers of America^® (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) -- an inspirational and extraordinary celebration of five years of cancer survivorship.

Stoner, 41, of Perry, MI, and nearly 100 other five-year cancer survivors, were joined by doctors, hospital administrators, clinical team members, caregivers, and family members for a tree-planting ceremony, a luncheon and reception, and a Celebrate Life 2011 Survivorship Ceremony.

CTCA at Midwestern planted 204 trees in Lake County, Illinois adding to what has fast become a thriving forest where one tree has been planted for every CTCA five-year cancer survivor.

The celebrants’ luncheon included delicious gourmet offerings of natural and organic foods -- a critical part of the CTCA patient treatment protocol.  White doves were released at the conclusion of the event to commemorate each year of cancer-fighting survival. 

Stoner was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer 13 years ago at which time she was told she had only two to five years to live.  She was treated with chemotherapy by a local oncologist for eight years, but wanted more treatment options.  “The chemo was keeping me down and I needed to work in order to retain my insurance benefits,” Stoner said.  “So in 2008, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to weigh my treatment options at CTCA at Midwestern.”

From the second we walked into CTCA at Midwestern, I knew it was a different kind of hospital,” said Stoner.  “The atmosphere is one of hope, and the, staff is extremely caring,” she added.

Doctors at CTCA at Midwestern placed Stoner on oral chemotherapy, which allowed her to work and provided a better quality of life.  She also had hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), a surgical procedure that delivers chemotherapy directly to the abdomen.  “CTCA at Midwestern is one of the few hospitals to offer HIPEC,” Stone said.  She also took advantage of the many complementary therapies offered at CTCA at Midwestern including naturopathy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage and pedicures.  “The pedicures are great.  My whole CTCA experience has given me the strength to persevere,” she added. 

Stoner is a pediatric clerkship coordinator at the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University in Grand Rapids.  She was born and raised in Perry where she enjoys the love and support of an extremely large and very close family including her mom and dad, four sisters and two brothers, 19 nieces and nephews, and seven great nieces and nephews.

She and her family are active participants in the Relay for Life, where they host a booth for ovarian cancer in an effort to raise awareness.  She also honors a late friend and schoolmate by participating in Walk ‘n’ Roll, which raises funds and awareness for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“At Cancer Treatment Centers of America, cancer patients and their families benefit from a fully integrated, personalized cancer treatment experience called Patient Empowered Care^SM, which includes state of the art treatment protocols and complementary therapies delivered by an Empowerment Team of cancer experts,” said Anne Meisner, president and CEO at CTCA at Midwestern.  “We empower our patients to take control of their cancer, and we treat each patient as though they are a member of our own family.  We are extremely proud of our celebrants and honored to acknowledge and celebrate their journey and continued success,” she added.

CTCA at Midwestern is also celebrating the launch of its new 7-Day Clinic, and its receipt of the 2011 HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award™.  A true innovation in patient care, the new 7-Day Clinic was created in response to patient demand.  It provides busy cancer patients access to their medical oncologist and treatment protocols from 8 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.  CTCA at Midwestern is the only cancer hospital in Illinois to     offer weekend clinical services.  Also, CTCA at Midwestern is one of only 15 recipients in Illinois and 339 nationwide to receive the prestigious 2011 HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award. It is the second consecutive year that CTCA at Midwestern has been nationally recognized with the honor

About Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Founded in 1988, Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) is a network of cancer treatment hospitals and community oncology programs in Illinois, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Washington – with a future location in Atlanta, Georgia.  CTCA provides a comprehensive, patient-centered treatment model that fully integrates conventional, state-of-the-art medical treatments with scientifically-supported complementary therapies such as nutrition, naturopathic medicine, psychological counseling, physical therapy and spiritual support to meet the special, whole-person needs of cancer patients with complex and advanced-stage disease.  CTCA encourages patients and their families to participate in treatment decisions through its Patient Empowerment Medicine^SM model.  For more information about Cancer Treatment Centers of America, go to cancercenter.com.