What We Offer You for Cancer Supportive Rheumatology Care
- Specialized expertise in treating arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory conditions that occur before, during, or after cancer treatment. Go to Conditions Treated
- Customized treatment plans that we create specifically for you based on many factors, including rheumatic disease symptoms, your health history, and other health conditions you are experiencing. Go to Treatments
- Multispecialty team with advanced training in caring for people with cancer and rheumatic conditions, all working together to optimize your well-being. Go to Your Care Team
- Ease of access to cancer treatments, services, and support. Go to Connecting to Care
As part of the Stanford Medicine Cancer Center, we specialize in caring for people who have cancer and rheumatic disease or an immune disorder. When these diseases occur along with cancer, a specialized team must work together to determine the best treatment plan and manage side effects.
We care for people who have:
- An immune disorder or inflammatory condition that developed before cancer
- A rheumatic condition or disease (such as arthritis) that developed before cancer
- A rheumatic disease or immune disorder that developed after starting cancer treatment
How cancer treatments affect the immune system
Certain cancer treatments, such as immunotherapy, boost your immune system to help it attack cancer cells. Other cancer treatments weaken your immune system and make you more vulnerable to infection. Because these treatments alter your body’s immune response, they can sometimes cause immune disorders or make existing immune disorders worse.
The side effects of cancer immunotherapy treatment are called immune-related adverse events (irAEs). They include inflammatory arthritis and a broad range of health problems that affect the skin, heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Our team has experience treating and managing irAEs, as well as the full spectrum of immune disorders and rheumatic disease, including:
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Gout and pseudogout
- Polymyalgia rheumatic, which causes muscle pain primarily in the shoulders, pelvis, and hips
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Reactive arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Spondyloarthropathy, a group of diseases that cause pain where tendons and ligaments attach to bones
In addition to affecting the connective tissues in the body, these disorders can also cause problems in the organs, skin, and blood. They include:
- Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis)
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)
- Sjogren's syndrome, a condition that causes dry eyes and a dry mouth
These disorders sometimes occur along with lupus or other autoimmune diseases. They include:
- Granulomatous mastitis, a rare condition that causes breast inflammation
- Inflammatory myopathies, such as polymyositis and dermatomyositis, which cause muscle inflammation and pain
Autoimmune disorders cause the body to attack its own healthy cells by mistake, leading to a wide range of health problems. Many autoimmune disorders cause vasculitis and affect blood vessels throughout the body. These disorders include:
- ANCA-associated vasculitis
- Aortitis
- Behcet's disease
- Central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis
- Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome)
- Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis)
- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis)
- Microscopic polyangiitis
- Polyarteritis nodosa
- Takayasu’s arteritis
There are dozens of immune disorders that lead to a wide range of health conditions. They include:
- IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), an autoimmune disorder that causes organ damage
- Sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that causes clusters of inflamed tissues to form in the body
If you have an existing immune disorder or rheumatic disease, your cancer treatment options may be limited. Your care team will tailor your treatment plan specifically to your needs and monitor your health before, during, and after treatment. Before recommending a treatment plan, your doctor will consider several factors, including:
- Type, stage, and prognosis of cancer
- Type and severity of the rheumatic or immune condition you have, including your symptoms and the effect they have on your daily life
- Medications you’re currently taking and how they may affect cancer treatment
- Whether the immune disorder or rheumatic disease occurred before or after the cancer diagnosis
- Your age and overall health
Your medications may change during different phases of your cancer treatment. In some cases, you may need to stop taking a medication before cancer surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy and then start taking the medication again after those treatments are complete. Or, you and your doctor may decide to pause or stop cancer treatments so you can continue taking medications to treat rheumatic disease. Your doctor will discuss your options with you so you can weigh the risks, benefits, and potential outcomes together.
Your wellness plays a role in the success of your treatment. We offer our Circle of Care to assist you and your family throughout your cancer journey. Whether it is nutritional counseling, spiritual counseling, a new wig, or help with your finances, we’re here whenever you need us.
Innovation Through Clinical Research
Some of Silicon Valley’s brightest scientific minds are at the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Stanford Medicine Cancer Center. Medical discoveries and clinical advances happen here. Our physicians and scientists work every day to improve cancer prevention, detection, and care. We offer advanced diagnostics, the latest treatment technologies and techniques, and pioneering therapies in development through clinical trials. Let us put innovation to work for you.
Your Circle of Care
A cancer diagnosis affects more than your physical well-being. It can disrupt your family life, work, social relationships, and your very sense of security. Our signature Circle of Care approach is here to guide you and your caregivers. We listen carefully to understand your unique situation and then we bring together experts including doctors, specialists, nurses, and care coordinators to create a plan just for you. With a team on your side and a wide range of support services, you receive a complete, coordinated experience. Learn what to expect and see how we put you at the center of care.
Everyone’s cancer experience is unique. This is especially true for people who are facing cancer and have other health conditions as well. Our doctors, nurses, technicians, and staff are here to support you throughout your journey with treatment plans tailored to fit your individual needs. We work as a team to provide customized care for you.
Your extended care team supports all your physical, emotional, and daily living needs. Our goal is to maximize your treatment success, while minimizing the impact that cancer and its treatment can have on your life.
Your Doctors
Rheumatologist
A rheumatologist specializes in diagnosing and treating all types of arthritis and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
View Reumatologists »Extended Care Team
Nurses and Nurse Coordinators
Nurses and nurse coordinators are registered nurses (RNs) who organize your care with your doctor. They guide you from your first contact with our clinic through follow-up care. RNs can also assist you in finding counseling, financial help, and other support services.
View All {0} Neuroanesthesiologists »Care Coordinators
Care coordinators provide you with information and assistance before and during your appointment.
- Medical Assistant: Medical assistants work with our team to help provide care. They may prepare you for an examination, assist your doctor, or take your vital signs before your appointment.
- Patient Care Coordinator: Our patient care coordinators help you schedule appointments and access your lab results. They are your first line of contact before seeing your provider and will guide you during your visits.
- Patient Access Representative: Patient access representatives can answer your questions about health insurance coverage, help you apply for health insurance, and refer you to our financial counselors.
Research Coordinators
Research coordinators help find candidates for possible participation in clinical research trials. Stanford Health Care’s Immunology & Rheumatology Program investigators work to better understand, diagnose, and treat certain disorders through clinical trials.
View All {0} Neuroanesthesiologists »Cancer Care Services
Your cancer care includes services that focus on easing the effects that cancer and its treatment may have on you. Our support programs are available to you throughout your diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care. Contact our Cancer Care Services for your personal support plan.
We make access to care as simple as possible. We anticipate what you need and provide support when you need it. Our network of locations puts our services within your reach. User-friendly digital health tools help you stay connected with your care team. We accept most insurance plans and offer discounted transportation, short-stay options, and international travel and translation services. We help make sense of the details, so you can make decisions that are right for you.
For Referring Physicians
PHYSICIAN HELPLINE
Fax: 650-320-9443
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Stanford Health Care provides comprehensive services to refer and track patients, as well as the latest information and news for physicians and office staff. For help with all referral needs and questions, visit Referral Information.
You may also submit a web referral or complete a referral form and fax it to 650-320-9443 or email the Referral Center at ReferralCenter@stanfordhealthcare.org.
Cancer Supportive Rheumatology Program