History
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Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) was created in 1988, but the origin of our treatment philosophy goes back to the early 1980s following the tragic death from cancer of our founder's mother, Mary Brown Stephenson. Her son, Richard J Stephenson, embarked on a mission to find the most advanced and effective treatment available, hoping that his efforts would enable his mother to recover and remain an integral, irreplaceable part of his life and the lives of his children.
The Stephensons were disappointed by what they found. What were regarded as world-renowned cancer treatment facilities were focused more on the clinical and technical aspects of cancer treatment, ignoring the multidisciplinary nature of the disease.
Mrs. Stephenson did not live to watch her grandchildren grow and mature. But to keep her memory and spirit alive, Richard vowed to change the face of cancer treatment. He recruited the best and the brightest oncologists, challenging them to find a way to combine state-of-the-art medical, surgical and radiological treatments with adjuvant therapies including nutrition, mind-body medicine and spirituality. Richard founded a hospital in northern Illinois where the program was implemented, and he ensured its success by keeping his staff members focused on one thing - making a difference in the lives of people who have cancer.
Since then, we've committed our every working hour and all of our energy to revolutionize cancer care. As a result, Cancer Treatment Centers of America is the only institution of its kind in the nation. From the beginning, we pioneered a new approach to cancer care with our exclusive focus on aggressive, integrated and individualized cancer treatment.
Our approach combines the latest medical, surgical and radiological therapies with supportive therapies like nutrition, mind-body medicine, physical therapy, naturopathy and spiritual wellness, bringing to bear many novel and innovative weapons against your specific type of cancer. And we deliver this approach using the Mother Standard® of care, a reflection of how each of us would want our mothers treated if she had cancer.
The CTCA network of treatment facilities presently consists of its flagship hospitals in Zion, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a comprehensive care program in Seattle, Washington.