Becker’s Healthcare is recognizing Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute among the 100 hospitals and health systems with great oncology programs for 2023.

Cancer programs that received this recognition earned designations from the National Cancer Institute, provide access to numerous clinical trials and have exceptional safety ratings. The list also features cancer centers with internationally known specialists.

“This recognition makes me incredibly proud, because our clinicians work tirelessly to provide exceptional care,” says Suresh Nair, MD, physician in Chief, Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute.

“This award shows our community and the country that excellent, leading-edge cancer care is available at Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute.”

Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute’s mission is to ease the community’s cancer burden through prevention, early detection, and providing comprehensive diagnostic and consultative treatment. We support this mission by educating health care professionals and the people who live in our community about advances in cancer care.

Treatment options

Because of the commitment to providing leading-edge care, Nair said, “The Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute can offer treatments few other hospitals and health systems in the country offer.”

“In early 2024, the Cancer Institute will begin offering groundbreaking cellular therapies and stem cell treatments, and because of our partnerships, we currently offer patients who qualify access to more than 150 clinical trials.”

Specialists use innovative surgical systems like Gamma Knife® Icon™ to treat difficult-to-reach tumors of the brain and head. This ultra-precise tool limits radiation dosage to healthy tissue and is designed to be a safer and more precise option for treating cancerous and noncancerous conditions of the brain. Gamma Knife® Icon™ also limits complications and side effects because there are no incisions.

Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute is one of three cancer centers in the country participating in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance, which provides patients with additional lifesaving treatments and clinical trials in their own communities.

Lehigh Valley Health Network Breast Health Services is an American College of Radiology Accredited Center of Excellence. This quality certification is a testament to the quality and experience of our board-certified radiologists. Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute provides convenient access to breast cancer screenings with 17 locations and the only mobile mammography coach in the region.

The Cancer Institute’s newest location, Cancer Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH) - Hazleton, opened in August 2023. This new location provides access to specialists, groundbreaking treatments and world-class cancer care close to home for patients in the Hazleton and surrounding regions.

Specially trained nurses and pharmacists provide patients with a safe experience when they receive chemotherapy, infusion therapy, targeted therapy and antibiotics. Infusion centers also provide blood transfusion services and can administer other medications requiring infusion or injections. Between 2020 and 2022, there were more than 143,000 visits to infusion centers across LVHN.