City of Hope Chicago oncologist with a patient

Becoming a Patient

Quality, personalized cancer care: That’s our difference

Every cancer is as unique as the person fighting it. How cancer impacts your body, your health, your emotions, your relationships, your plans for the future — everything that comes with a diagnosis impacts your life in unique ways. At City of Hope, we believe you deserve a team and a care plan that takes those factors into account, treating you as an individual with your own hopes, needs, diagnosis and goals.

That’s our difference: comprehensive, personalized care delivered by experts in cancer with access to today’s evolving technology, working collaboratively, coast to coast, in real time.
Our Clinical Excellence in Cancer Treatment

Get the expertise you deserve

Our cancer care experts have extensive experience diagnosing and treating both early-stage and advanced-stage cancers, as well as complex and rare cancers. Our oncologists use a wide variety of standard-of-care and innovative treatment tools and technologies, including precision medicine breakthroughs in immunotherapy and targeted therapy drugs, to attack your specific cancer type, while also offering qualified patients access to investigational research on potential new treatment approaches. A second opinion may point to a different cancer type, and a review of your genetic profile through advanced genomic testing may uncover a more advanced treatment option not previously considered, or help to confirm your current diagnosis and treatment plan.

A City of Hope Chicago scientist in the lab

We Help Handle the Details, so You Can Focus on You

Coordinated care recognizes that cancer is a complex disease, requiring multiple doctors’ appointments, medications and treatments, as well as support and follow-up care, and answers to the questions you may have along the way. At City of Hope, we’re committed to helping you handle these logistics, so you don’t have to do it alone. That’s why we developed a comprehensive care model that assigns a coordinator, or team of coordinators, to your care team, to ensure that your medical needs are met in a seamless fashion.

Your care manager at City of Hope is a nurse with cancer care expertise who serves as the point person on most aspects of your treatment journey. Whether it’s coordinating doctor appointments and treatment visits, filling prescriptions or explaining the process, your care manager helps keep you fully informed.

As the liaison between you, your caregivers and your care teams, your care manager is the common thread holding the pieces of your cancer treatment journey together, so you can focus on you.

When It Comes to Your Cancer Journey, Even Little Details Matter

Finding a cancer hospital and care team that meets your expectations, needs and goals is one of the most important aspects of the cancer journey. At City of Hope, we understand how critical the decision-making process is, and the anxiety that often comes
Telehealth

Depending on your needs and situation, our telehealth services may be an option that connects you with our cancer experts from the convenience of your own home.

Coordinated travel

Prior to your visit, a City of Hope team member will schedule your travel, reserve your accommodations, greet you at the airport or train station and bring you to the hospital or to your nearby lodging site.

Once here, our staff is available to continue assisting with your travel coordination and other needs throughout your treatment.

On-site pharmacy

Our in-house oncology pharmacy guides you through the process of ordering your prescribed medications, such as oral chemotherapies, and works with drug manufacturers to deliver medications securely and promptly to your hospital bedside or home. Our pharmacists take the time to educate you and your caregiver, helping you understand your medications and manage the side effects they may cause.

One-call insurance verification

Our hospitals and outpatient centers accept a variety of insurance plans. The best way to understand your coverage is as simple as a phone call, we can conduct a preliminary check to determine how your insurance plan benefits may work and, if possible, schedule an appointment.

Get the Expertise You Deserve. One Call Is All It Takes.

Call the cancer experts, City of Hope is here 24/7
We’re Here to Help After Your Treatment, Too

Supporting you through your survivorship and beyond

Throughout your cancer journey, our team works with you to develop ways to improve and maintain your health. After your primary treatment is completed, you’ll be introduced to your survivorship team. Together, they’ll offer strategies to prevent and detect new or recurrent cancers and interventions for long-term and late effects resulting from cancer and/or treatments, while also coordinating communication between specialists and your primary care doctor and offering guidance about diet, exercise and living a healthy lifestyle after cancer. Whether you’re at one of our hospitals or at home in between visits, we’re here to help. Members of your care team are only a phone call away.

Doctor explaining information on a screen to a patient

Are You Looking for a Second Opinion?

A second opinion is your first priority.

Being diagnosed with a serious illness is life-changing. Your next steps are crucial in achieving the best possible outcome. You need to make sure the diagnosis was correct. And even for common diagnoses, different treatments often require different approaches that warrant consideration. At City of Hope, we believe you need to clearly understand your options in order to join your care team in making the decisions that are right for you. 

You can seek a second opinion even after you’ve started treatment. 

The world-renowned team at City of Hope will give you a thorough understanding of the latest advances and treatments available, giving you peace of mind about your treatment plan. We’d like the opportunity to listen, hear your concerns and answer your questions. Our expertise comes from treating cancer — every stage, every day. Call us now to schedule your second opinion appointment.

We’d Like the Opportunity to Hear Your Concerns and Answer Your Questions.

City of Hope is here for you

Learn More About Becoming a Patient at City of Hope

What to expect when you become a patient

We strive to make becoming at patient at City of Hope as easy and stress free as possible. Get to know what your experience will be like as a City of Hope patient, step by step.


 

About a second opinion from City of Hope

A second opinion may point to a different cancer type, and a review of your genetic profile through advanced genomic testing may uncover a more advanced treatment option not previously considered, or help to confirm your current diagnosis and treatment plan.

Cancer treatment options

The modern era of cancer treatment is constantly evolving, with new breakthroughs and discoveries changing the course of cancer care at a rapid pace. Our cancer experts treat cancer with a wide range of standard of care and innovative techniques and approaches, including high tech diagnostic tools, targeted radiation therapies, minimally invasive surgical techniques and treatments identified through the tools of precision medicine.