Cancer Care Network
Hands forming a heart

About the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network

It's the little moments that make the biggest difference.

The difference between good care and great care lies in the moments in-between. From diagnosis to discharge, the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network surrounds you with specialists dedicated to your personal fight. Our providers care about you as much as they care about fighting cancer—always taking the time to brighten your day with simple acts of kindness and support. It's why we are different, and why we’ve treated more cancer patients in Maine and New Hampshire than any other health care system.

You want your home team nearby.

The MaineHealth Cancer Care Network is designed to reduce the need for travel whenever possible by connecting cancer experts with cancer patients, close to home. This powerful collaboration brings together nearly 300 of the most talented cancer care providers in northern New England, with the support of the Harold Alfond® Foundation. The foundation is providing a generous five-year grant that supports our care teams and the technology that connects them.

We provide the best evidence-based cancer services, as close to home as possible. Physicians and patient navigators help patients access care in the most appropriate network locations so they receive the right care, in the right location, while minimizing the time and expense of travel. Our team includes:

  • Physicians who have achieved the highest levels of training as surgeons, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists
  • Patient navigators who specialize in cancer and help guide patients through their care
  • Social workers and nutritionists who provide support that can ease a patient’s experience

We provide the best evidence-based cancer services as close to home as possible. Physicians and patient navigators help patients access care in the most appropriate network locations so they receive the right care, in the right location, while minimizing the time and expense of travel. 

Team Approach to Care

MaineHealth's coordinated, system-wide approach to cancer care puts patients at the center of a team of experts. Regardless of their location, team members collaborate (both in person and via telecommunications) to discuss individual patient cases, utilize evidence-based guidelines that show the best outcomes, and develop a recommended treatment plan that may include care at more than one MaineHealth system hospital.

Treating people with cancer often requires a multidisciplinary approach. It’s common for patients to have surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The physicians who specialize in each of these types of cancer therapy work together, and with additional specialists such as pathologists, radiologists, pharmacists, patient navigators, nurse practitioners and nutritionists.

Not every MaineHealth-affiliated hospital has the full range of expertise. Therefore, we aligned all of our providers as one team. Our providers know that they and their patients have access to the quality care they need. A patient may receive surgery at one hospital where a physician has a particular expertise, but then return closer to home for follow-up care, including chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The goal is to provide the right care, in the right place, as close to home as possible.

Patients seeking second opinions and access to clinical trials have the option to travel to Maine Medical Center or MaineGeneral Medical Center, the largest of our six hospitals that are accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer. In all cases, our experts will guide patients to the best available care and determine how much of it can be delivered close to home.

Network Partners

Care Locations

People with cancer may receive a combination of different types of therapies. The map on this page gives a general overview available care sites across our network. Click a number on the map for more information.

  • Diagnostics – Some or all available tests, from blood draws and pathology, to x-rays including body CT/MRI and PET scans
  • IV Therapy – The injection of drugs, such as chemotherapy and other supportive medications to address side effects of treatment
  • Radiation Oncology – Treatment of cancer and its side-effects using radiation
  • Support Services – These may include counseling in nutrition or finances to pay for care, as well as support groups and transportation assistance
  • Surgery – Different types of cancer have different surgical approaches that require specialized skills, and the larger hospitals provide the wider range of these specialists.

QOPI Certification Badge

The MaineHealth Cancer Care Network has received certification by the QOPI® Certification Program, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association for Clinical Oncology (the Association) and an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (the Society). The QOPI® Certification Program builds on the Society’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®), providing a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices that meet nationally recognized standards for quality cancer care.

CancerLinQ Logo

This practice participates in CancerLinQ® - a health information platform from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) that collects and analyzes medical and treatment data from oncology practices. Information about you and your care is securely contributing to this quality improvement effort. Questions? Visit www.CancerLinQ.org or ask your clinician for more information.