WELCOME TO THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
ADC MidWest is the premiere specialty anal cancer prevention practice.
OUR VALUES
They are what set us apart.
They clarify our identity, serve as a rallying point for our employees, and tell our patients what to expect.
We value:
- CUSTOMER SERVICE (we exceed your expectations)
- QUALITY (we do it right or don’t do it at all)
- INTELLECTUAL HORSEPOWER (we only hire the smartest in class)
- PERSISTENCE (we keep asking questions)
- EFFICIENCY (we work smarter not harder)
OUR HISTORY
LEADING THE WAY IN ANAL PRECANCER SCREEENING AND TREATMENT
For over 35 years, Dr. Bucher has been a leader in clinical care and research with HIV/AIDS patients. He has felt the need to be on the forefront of advances and care for PLWH. Dr. Bucher saw the rates of anal cancer increasing in PLWH, MSM and other high-risk groups. In 2008, he incorporated anal cancer screening and the evaluation and treatment of anal precancer into his primary care practice.
Dr. Bucher started referring patients for work up for abnormal anal pap smears (anal cytology) to colorectal surgeons. He soon found out that his patients were not getting the appropriate evaluation with high resolution anoscopy (HRA). His patients were examined with a rectal exam and a standard plain anoscopy. Subsequently, they were told that everything was normal when they could have had anal precancer that was not seen because HRA was not performed. His patients felt a false sense of security that they were being evaluated properly and that all was normal.
Dr. Bucher quickly found that evaluation and treatment of anal and perianal precancer were nonexistent in Chicago and decided he needed to learn how to perform HRA and treat anal precancer. He incorporated this care into his HIV primary care practice.
Dr. Bucher’s experience continued to evolve with his clinical practice and research to the point where he was able to participate as the principal investigator for the ANCHOR Study in Chicago. The ANCHOR Study is an anal cancer prevention clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and it’s Office of HIV and AIDS Malignancy (OHAM) and AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC).
ADC MidWest became an ANCHOR Study site in January 2015. The practice screened 1,532 participants and enrolled 580 participants of the 4,446 total participants enrolled in the study. Each site was required to have 3 proficiency certified providers in HRA and 2 proficiency certified providers in anal precancer treatment. Over the 7 years of the study, Dr. Bucher has successfully trained, and proficiency certified 7 providers. He has the distinction of training and certifying the most providers at ADC MidWest out of all 24 ANCHOR Study sites.
Dr. Bucher’s success with the ANCHOR Study has led to ADC MidWest being officially added as a member of the NCI-supported clinical trials group founded in 1995 to support innovative trials for AIDS-related cancers. The AMC is composed of 36 clinical trial sites worldwide and five Working Groups. ADC MidWest is a member of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Working Group. The current goals of the HPV Working Group are to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new methods of prevention and treatment of anal and cervical cancers and precancer in PLWH, determine which proteins and genes in the blood and tumor specimens (also known as biologic correlates) will help predict a patient’s prognosis and response to treatment and the knowledge gained from this will be used to develop and test new treatment strategies and to train clinicians in HRA to expand expertise and availability of this procedure within the AMC.
For over 35 years, Dr. Bucher has been a leader in clinical care and research with HIV/AIDS patients. He has felt the need to be on the forefront of advances and care for PLWH. Dr. Bucher saw the rates of anal cancer increasing in PLWH, MSM and other high-risk groups. In 2008, he incorporated anal cancer screening and the evaluation and treatment of anal precancer into his primary care practice.
Dr. Bucher started referring patients for work up for abnormal anal pap smears (anal cytology) to colorectal surgeons. He soon found out that his patients were not getting the appropriate evaluation with high resolution anoscopy (HRA). His patients were examined with a rectal exam and a standard plain anoscopy. Subsequently, they were told that everything was normal when they could have had anal precancer that was not seen because HRA was not performed. His patients felt a false sense of security that they were being evaluated properly and that all was normal.
Dr. Bucher quickly found that evaluation and treatment of anal and perianal precancer were nonexistent in Chicago and decided he needed to learn how to perform HRA and treat anal precancer. He incorporated this care into his HIV primary care practice.
Dr. Bucher’s experience continued to evolve with his clinical practice and research to the point where he was able to participate as the principal investigator for the ANCHOR Study in Chicago. The ANCHOR Study is an anal cancer prevention clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and it’s Office of HIV and AIDS Malignancy (OHAM) and AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC).
ADC MidWest became an ANCHOR Study site in January 2015. The practice screened 1,532 participants and enrolled 580 participants of the 4,446 total participants enrolled in the study. Each site was required to have 3 proficiency certified providers in HRA and 2 proficiency certified providers in anal precancer treatment. Over the 7 years of the study, Dr. Bucher has successfully trained, and proficiency certified 7 providers. He has the distinction of training and certifying the most providers at ADC MidWest out of all 24 ANCHOR Study sites.
Dr. Bucher’s success with the ANCHOR Study has led to ADC MidWest being officially added as a member of the NCI-supported clinical trials group founded in 1995 to support innovative trials for AIDS-related cancers. The AMC is composed of 36 clinical trial sites worldwide and five Working Groups. ADC MidWest is a member of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Working Group. The current goals of the HPV Working Group are to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new methods of prevention and treatment of anal and cervical cancers and precancer in PLWH, determine which proteins and genes in the blood and tumor specimens (also known as biologic correlates) will help predict a patient’s prognosis and response to treatment and the knowledge gained from this will be used to develop and test new treatment strategies and to train clinicians in HRA to expand expertise and availability of this procedure within the AMC.
THE FUTURE OF ANAL PRECANCER SCREENING
High risk HPV types can cause anal precancer. At least 90% of all anal cancers are caused by the HPV virus. The proposed DHHS guidelines for the prevention and treatment of anal cancer highly recommend treatment for all Anal HSIL. For this reason, it is important for high-risk groups to have precancerous screening.
AT ADC MIDWEST, WE ARE FOCUSED ON YOUR BUTT HEALTH AND PROVIDING YOU WITH THREE MAJOR COMMITMENTS.
THE PROVIDER-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP
We get to know you and your medical history so that we can customize a treatment just for you.
THE CARE YOU NEED
At ADC MidWest, every test and treatment we recommend is based on evidence. We avoid unnecessary care that might put your health at risk. We just do what’s right for you, every time.
RESPECT, DIGNITY &
A LISTENING EAR
We will always listen to you and ask how you are feeling about your care. We recognize the importance of incorporating your personal values and priorities into treatment decisions.