Text Only Off

Quality of Care

How Many Patients Have You Cared For With My Type of Cancer?

Cancer is not just one disease – it’s a collection of more than 100 different diseases, each with its own characteristics, its own set of treatments and its own challenges. In general, the more of a particular kind of cancer a center treats, the better that center tends to be in treating that type of cancer.

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center is a major referral center that treats all types of cancers in adults and children (through the Vanderbilt Childhood Cancer Program at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt). Here are some details about our patient volumes and links to additional information:

  • Our Cancer Registry records and follows new cancer cases that we see. The number of new cases entered into our Registry has more than doubled from 2,265 in 1999 to 4,594 in 2008 (the most complete year of available information).
  • We currently have more than 20,000 patients under active follow up by our Cancer Registry.
  • The number of patients who receive treatment in our main Henry-Joyce Cancer Clinic and our Breast Center (Vanderbilt Breast Center at One Hundred Oaks) continues to grow. In Fiscal Year 2010, outpatient visits totaled more than 95,000. These include patients seeing medical oncologists, hematologists, surgical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists, undergoing bone marrow/stem cell transplant and receiving chemotherapy.
  • Our cancer-related adult inpatient discharges exceed 5,000 annually, and our pediatric cancer inpatient admissions exceed 1,000.
  • Each year, more than 1,600 patients were treated with radiation therapy at our main campus or our satellite centers in Clarksville, Tenn., and Franklin, Tenn.

Comparison of our new cancer case counts by year 2004-2008

Cancer Site 20042005200620072008
Lip 4611910
Tongue 6247546370
Salivary Glands 914112312
Floor of Mouth 149232215
Gum & Other Mouth 3133413836
Nasopharynx 136977
Tonsil 2337452836
Oropharynx 63352
Hypopharynx 89797
Other Oral Cavity & Pharynx 14443
Esophagus 3740343937
Stomach 2335456050
Small Intestine 1016122314
Colon Excluding Rectum 103129113136137
Rectum & Rectosigmoid 748884106127
Anus, Anal Canal & Anorectum 61271023
Liver & Intrahepatic Bile Duct 7370708976
Gallbladder 17567
Other Biliary 1314141522
Pancreas 62737084103
Retroperitoneum 57111112
Peritoneum, Omentum & Mesentery 922159
Other Digestive Organs 38542
Nasal Cavity, Middle Ear & Accessory Sinuses 1517222220
Larynx 7373717973
Lung & Bronchus 300300310313370
Trachea, Mediastinum & Other Respiratory Organs 25252
Bones & Joints 4755374745
Soft Tissue (including Heart) 77907981102
Melanoma -- Skin 182202249211203
Other Nonepithelial Skin 115151819
Breast 259297341336387
Cervix Uteri 3340404329
Corpus & Uterus, NOS 7671859061
Ovary 4153514829
Vagina 871696
Vulva 3523344225
Other Female Genital Organs 21211
Prostate 472607682878891
Testis 3523254028
Penis 469913
Other Male Genital Organs 11010
Urinary Bladder 166173174192197
Kidney & Renal Pelvis 204206188269258
Ureter 111671020
Other Urinary Organs 35224
Eye & Orbit 1420171719
Brain 89108110125134
Other Nervous System 54949110184
Thyroid 108133138167140
Other Endocrine (including Thymus) 8785736974
Hodgkin Lymphoma 3134253127
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma 158182172219190
Multiple Myeloma 5869766680
Lymphocytic Leukemia 6261717072
Myeloid & Monocytic Leukemia 9474708788
Other Leukemia 46641
Mesothelioma 32476
Kaposi Sarcoma 42220
Miscellaneous Sites 9472916979
           
Total3,5073,8874,0674,5864,594

Comparison Case Counts Primary System: All Class of Case 2000 - 2008

Primary Site 20042005200620072008
Oral cavity & pharynx 171168208208198
Digestive system 419501472598619
Respiratory system 390395405419465
Bones & joints 4755374745
Soft tissue 77907981102
Skin excluding basal & squamous 193207264229222
Breast 259297341336387
Female genital system 195195228233151
Male genital system 512637716928932
Urinary system 384400371473479
Eye & orbit 1420171719
Brain & other nervous system 143202201226218
Endocrine system 195218211236214
Lymphomas 189216197250217
Multiple myeloma 5869766680
Leukemias 160141147161161
Mesothelioma 32476
Kaposi sarcoma 42220
Miscellaneous 9472916979
Total Cases 3,507 3,887 4,067 4,586 4,594