About Salem Oncology Centre

Salem Oncology Centre, established in 1991, is a world-renowned private cancer medicine facility located in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas. It is dedicated to the delivery of the most up-to-date and the highest quality of cancer care, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Salem Oncology Centre strives to provide "caring beyond medicine", where the practice of medicine is not a job, but is a mission. With the major focus on the individual patient, we provide the best possible care which includes the most up-to-date knowledge, combined with compassion and caring. Therefore, each patient receives a personalized treatment plan and high-tech measures are taken to avoid possible side effects. Salem Oncology Centre has provided care to patients from around the world. Our multicultural- sensitive staff serve the needs of our patients and their families. We look at the patient not only as a person, but as family rather than disease.

Dr. Salem and the staff at Salem Oncology Centre strive to provide "caring beyond medicine", where the practice of medicine is not a job, but a mission. The major focus is on the individual patient, as we provide the most up-to-date knowledge, combined with compassion and caring. Each patient receives a personalized treatment with specific measures taken to avoid possible side effects. Commitment to excellence and quality of care demands time, and time is rarely allocated in today’s health care system. We are committed to giving the patient all the time he needs to provide him with the very best chance for cure. Patients at Salem Oncology Centre have 24-hour access to our doctors and nurses. Care is not interrupted over the weekends, as our facility is open on Saturdays and Sundays and holidays to guarantee continuity of care.  Patient care is delivered at all times by the same team of experienced doctors and nurses who are highly specialized in the treatment of cancer and who know the patient well and are very familiar with his medical and non-medical problems. The patient is not just a number in our Centre; he is a person with a name, he is not a disease.

Salem Oncology Centre has an efficient system of evaluating new patients. A complete patient evaluation is accomplished within 48-72 hours. Working with our network of pathologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons, we deliver patient diagnosis and care in a timely manner.  All radiological studies are scheduled within the first 24-48 hours after the initial consultation with Dr. Salem, and surgical procedures, if necessary, are scheduled within 24-72 hours. We believe that what determines a patient's chance for cure are scientific knowledge and the quality of medical care.  Accordingly, we consult with the best specialists in the Texas Medical Center, as well as the leading national and international cancer experts. Each individual’s treatment plan is designed after a group consultation with these experts. Meticulous and appropriate evaluation of pathology and radiological findings are crucial to the development of a treatment plan. Therefore, we strive to obtain a group opinion in these areas to assure a correct diagnosis and consequently, a correct treatment. To assure excellence in care, patients are never treated or evaluated by students or trainees.

Salem Oncology Centre has been providing quality medical care with warmth and understanding to patients from around the world since 1991. In order to assist non-English speaking international patients, our Centre has staff members fluent in Italian, Spanish, Arabic, French, and Greek. We also offer help procuring travel and hotel accommodations (including assistance through customs), long-term housing, and many other special services. Our goal is to make our patient's stay in Houston as worry-free as possible, so the patient can focus on getting well. Once it is time for the patient to return home, Salem Oncology Centre has professional associates worldwide, and an international network of referrals. We also have an affiliate program in Italy. However, all patients are initially evaluated at our Centre in Houston.

Availability and Continuity of Care:

Our patients have 24-hour access to our doctors and nurses, seven days a week. After hours, you may call our answering service and ask to speak to a doctor or nurse. Care is not interrupted over the weekends or holidays as our facility is open on Saturdays and Sundays to guarantee continuity of care. Patient care is delivered at all times by the same team of primary doctors and nurses who know the patient well, and who are familiar with his/her medical and non-medical issues. Whether the patient calls the office at 2:00 p.m. or 2:00 a.m., he/she will talk to a medical staff member (either a doctor or nurse) who is very familiar to him/her and a nurse who knows exactly what their issues are.

Efficiency:

We have an efficient system of evaluation for new patients. Working with our network of pathologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons, we deliver patient diagnosis and care in a timely manner. At our Centre, all radiological studies are scheduled within 24-48 hours after initial consultation, and if necessary, surgical procedures are scheduled within 24-72 hours. Typically, a complete evaluation is accomplished within 48-72 hours and a group consultation is obtained immediately thereafter, to determine the exact course of therapy.

Over Four Decades of Experience:

Dr. Philip A. Salem has over 40 years of experience in cancer research and treatment. He was trained at the two major cancer centers in America: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. All patients who come to Salem Oncology Centre are seen and evaluated by Dr. Salem. Dr. Salem was a professor of cancer medicine at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center before being appointed Director of Cancer Research at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. Dr. Salem treats all kinds of cancer diseases, except acute myeloblastic and acute lymphoblastic leukemias; however, we do treat chronic leukemias. We do not treat children. Our practice is confined to adult oncology.

We believe that what determines a patient's chance for cure are scientific knowledge and the quality of medical care. No interns, residents, or trainees deliver patient care at Salem Oncology Centre.

Why we do not accept insurance and third-party payers:

Introductory remarks to a video on Salem Oncology Centre "Care Beyond Medicine":