Cancer Care
About This Program
CMH has an innovative model of cancer care that ensures a patient’s care needs are met.
The hospital’s oncology program provides a full range of services, including in-patient and outpatient diagnosis, treatments, management of complex symptoms, and supportive and palliative care services.
Please note that the Oncology Program can no longer accept referrals for patients with hematologic malignancies (i.e., lymphoma, myeloma, leukemia, etc.). Patients with these diseases will be treated at the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre.
Our program includes:
- an inpatient unit
- an outpatient Oncology Medical Day Clinic
Our goal is to provide holistic, integrated cancer services close to home for the residents of our community. Oncology care at Cambridge Memorial Hospital is associated with the Grand River Regional Cancer Centre (GRRCC) and LHIN partners to support our network of linked professionals and services for cancer patients and their families.
Services
Inpatient Oncology
Patients who require active support during their diagnosis, treatment or require care for complex and severe symptoms, are admitted to the Medicine unit located in B Wing, Level 2. This unit is staffed with nurses and others trained to care for patients with cancer.
Outpatient Medical Day Clinic
The outpatient Medical Day Clinic provides diagnostics consultations and treatment including chemotherapy, and supportive and follow up care for cancer patients who do not require hospitalization.
Please see our list of other helpful resources further down the page.
What I Need to Know
Please bring any personal assistive devices that you require for your appointment. For example, any communication or mobility device you may need like a walker, hearing aid, etc.
Kindly note that CMH has a no scent policy. Kindly refrain from using or wearing perfumes, scented deodorants and scented products before coming to hospital.
To Do List for your visit:
- HEALTH CARD: Please remember to bring your Health Card to each appointment.
- MEDICATIONS: Please bring your medications, including over-the-counter-medications and supplements, to each appointment. Keeping an up-to-date list of your medications can be helpful.
- LABWORK: If you have bloodwork, remember to go to the lab before coming to the Medical Day Clinic for your appointment.
- CHECK-IN: Remember to complete Your Symptoms Matter about your symptoms before you come in to the clinic.
- YOUR APPOINTMENT: It can be helpful to bring a list of your questions with you to your appointment.
Care Partners - One Care partner is able to attend all physician appointments and the patient's first systemic therapy treatment (i.e., chemotherapy suite). Ongoing care partner support in the systemic suite is only permitted in circumstances where the patient has cognitive or mobility issues, or there is a language barrier.
Click here for a printable version of this To Do list
Your Team
The oncology care team is multidisciplinary, and includes oncologists, oncology associates (physicians with advanced knowledge and skills related to oncology care, supportive care and palliative care), registered nurses, registered practical nurses,social worker, pharmacists, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, recreation therapist and pastoral care.
Team Bios
Dr. Anupam Batra, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Anupam Batra joined Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) as a Consultant Medical Oncologist in May 2019 and the Grand River Regional Cancer Center (GRRCC) in March 2021. He is Division Head for Oncology and leads the Clinical Trials Unit at CMH. He is a Qualified Investigator for a number of industry-sponsored and Canadian Cancer Trials Group studies. Dr. Batra is an Associate Clinical Professor at McMaster University in the Department of Oncology.
He completed his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry (BSc Hons) at McGill University in 2006. He received his medical degree from St. George’s University and completed his Internal Medicine residency at Albany Medical College in 2015. He then completed his Geriatric Medicine training at the Massachusetts General Hospital – Harvard Medical School in 2016. Dr. Batra went on to complete his Medical Oncology residency followed by a Genitourinary Oncology Fellowship at the University of Western Ontario in 2019.
He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Medical Oncology, and holds specialty certifications in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Dr. Batra’s interests include the comprehensive care of the older genitourinary cancer patient, the impact of novel anti-cancer therapies on function, cognition and mood, and the use of efficient tools to assess frailty in clinical practice.
He is a proud father of two young children and devoted husband and is looking forward to the years ahead of service to the cancer patients of Cambridge and Kitchener.
Dr. Helen Lin, MD, MSc FRCPC
Dr. Helen Lin joined Cambridge Memorial Hospital in 2018 after working as a locum oncologist at RS McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre as well as Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. She completed her Internal Medicine training at East Carolina University in 2015 followed by Medical Oncology training at McMaster University in 2017.
Dr. Lin is passionate about community oncology and bringing cancer care closer to home. She is particularly interested in and currently treating Breast, Lung, Skin and Gastrointestinal Cancers. In her free time, she enjoys travelling and spending time with her family.
Dr. Shelley Kuang, MD, FRCPC
Dr. Shelley Kuang joined Cambridge Memorial Hospital and Grand River Regional Cancer Centre as a medical oncologist in October 2022. She treats thoracic, breast, gynecological and genitourinary malignancies.
She completed Internal Medicine residency at McMaster's Waterloo Regional Campus in 2018, Medical Oncology residency at the University of British Columbia in 2020, and Thoracic Oncology Fellowship at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in 2021. She then worked as a Clinical Associate at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre from February to September 2022.
She looks forward to caring for patients in the Waterloo-Wellington region in the years to come. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the local food scene, and spending time with her husband and two cats.
Resources
- COVID Vaccine Information Patient Education Apr 19
- HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre General Info
- How to manage pain - English
- How to manage pain - French
- Indigenous Cancer Resources - First Nations
- Indigenous Cancer Resources - Inuit
- Indigenous Cancer Resources - Metis
- Managing Symptoms, Side Effects & Well-Being from Cancer Care Ontario. Please note that some of their Patient Guides are available in multiple languages
Location
The outpatient Medical Day Clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm. We are not open on weekends or on statutory holidays. We are located on the first floor of the hospital in Wing D, near the Ambulatory Care entrance.
Contact
Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm 519-740-4940, excluding statutory holidays. Outside of these hours, please call 519-621-2330.
For questions or to provide feedback email us.