Cancer Resources and Support

• Cancer Patient Help Line: Ochsner Cancer Center has a direct phone number (504-842-3910) for patients to contact the oncology team for urgent symptoms and health issues, 24 hours a day.
• Chemotherapy Education Resource
• Chemotherapy Care Companion Program: Chemotherapy Care Companion is a new program that is being offered to Ochsner’s early phase clinical trial research patients and high-risk chemotherapy patients. The program is used to monitor patients who are undergoing chemotherapy and to observe the differences in obtained baseline information prior to chemotherapy treatment to determine issues related to or exacerbated by receiving chemotherapy. Watch Our Video
• Infusion Services: Depending on a patient’s situation and the drug, he or she may get chemotherapy once a day, once a week or once a month. Chemotherapy is often given in cycles. A patient may, for example, get therapy for six weeks, and then have time to rest before the next cycle begins. Whether treatment is for cure, control or palliative care, this dedicated team will support you and your family during this difficult time.
• O Bar: The O Bar, the first retail experience of its kind, offers the latest in cutting-edge, interactive health technology to help patients seamlessly manage their health and wellness.
• Urgent Care for Our Cancer Patients
• Patient Guide to Immunotherapy and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
• Explaining Your Cancer Treatment to Children

• Support Groups and Classes: Ochsner offers a wide range of free support services for cancer patients including the following. For more information on each class and to sign up, visit the support groups and classes webpage.
  • Support groups: Ochsner offers multiple free classes and support groups for patients and their families before, during and after cancer treatment.
  • Chemotherapy Class: The Ochsner Cancer Institute offers a free Chemotherapy Class for patients who will be receiving chemotherapy as part of their treatment plan. The class is available online or in person.
  • Meditation course open to all cancer survivors
  • Nutrition classes are available for anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis to help maintain good nutrition throughout treatment.
  • Yoga classes are available to help relax your mind and center your thoughts.
  • National resources for support groups and classes can be found at Support Groups, Cancer, Patients, Information, Resources (cancercare.org)

We know that hospital and physician bills along with health insurance claims can be confusing. Additional information about the billing and financial services at Ochsner is provided in this section of our website to help you better understand our patient billing process and to answer some of the most frequently asked questions we receive.

• Financial Resource Center
• Billing and Financial Resources
• Patient Financial Resources: Ochsner Health is committed to caring for our patients’ health and well-being, including their financial needs. We want all patients to know about the tools and resources that are available to answer questions about care costs.

• Nutrition and Meal Planning:
  • For Patients with Cancer and Diabetes
  • For Muscle Support for Cancer Patients
  • For Weight Gain Muscle Support for Cancer Patients

It is never too early to think about what is most important to you should your health change. While it can be hard to think about a time when you are sick or unable to make decisions for yourself, the earlier you plan, the better chance we have of giving you the medical care that is right for you.

• Advance Care Planning

• Breast Cancer Patient Guide: Developed by the team at the Tansey Breast Center, this guide helps breast cancer patients stay organized and informed about their care.
• Diarrhea and Constipation Patient Instructions: This guide for patients provides recommendations if you experience constipation or diarrhea.
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines for Patients®
• Oncology Patient Evacuation Guide: This guide helps you organize your medical information and plan your next steps while out of town.
• Patient and Family Caregiver Guide: This guide helps patients and their family caregivers navigate through the Ochsner system and contains information on cancer services, programs and support at Ochsner.

• Patient's may stay at Ochsner's Brent House Hotel, a full-service hotel with guest rooms and suites adjacent to Ochsner Medical Center.
• Patients and a caregiver may also stay at the American Cancer Society’s Patrick F. Taylor Hope Lodge.
  • Learn more about patient housing.

• Sexual Activity During Cancer Treatment – Women
• Sexual Activity During Cancer Treatment - Men

• HiFu at Ochsner for Prostate Cancer
• Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery: Whenever possible, Ochsner thoracic surgeons employ minimally invasive surgical techniques. For our patients, this translates into shorter hospital stays and a quicker recovery time.
• Radiation Oncology: Offering the most advanced radiation treatment procedures and equipment in the Gulf South, with customized treatments for each patient.
• Robotic Surgery: This cutting edge, minimally invasive treatment option is available for certain patients with prostate cancer, kidney cancer, urology conditions and gynecology conditions.
• Cancer Surgery: Ochsner offers procedures not available elsewhere in the community by a team of talented surgical oncologists who treat the whole person, not just the disease.
• Precision Medicine: Our individualized approach captures information about each patient’s health by studying their genes, environment and lifestyle.

• All in Against Cancer Podcast: Join Dr. Jonathan Mizrahi as we talk to healthcare experts each episode about what you need to know should you or a loved one receive a cancer diagnosis.
• Elly App: Elly is an empathetic audio companion for patients with cancer and includes daily summaries and sessions on a variety of topics. Click here for the brochure.
• Healthy State of Mind: A video series and podcast by Ochsner Health. The mission is to educate individuals on mental health and wellness, from better sleep practices to reducing workplace toxicity by establishing boundaries and work-life balance.
• Chemotherapy Companion Care App: The program is used to monitor patients who are undergoing chemotherapy or immunotherapy and to observe vital signs during therapy to determine issues related to or exacerbated by receiving therapy.

When you receive a cancer diagnosis, there’s a lot more to consider then treating the disease. Our Oncologic Shared Services are programs and specialties within your oncology team that support you through the treatment, providing side effect relief, psychological support, nutritional guidance, and many other benefits.

We strongly encourage our patients to take advantage of any of these services that may make this journey easier. We are happy to review them with you during your consult or follow up visits. They are always available to our patients at any point during or after their treatment. To find out more information about how to customize your care team to suit your personal needs, visit Our Comprehensive Team Approach page.