Yakima, Wa.- Soothing. Relaxing. Peaceful. This isn’t exactly what comes to mind when you think cancer but patients at North Star Lodge are experiencing this first-hand.

“They’re not walking into a sterile, stark typical hospital setting,” said Tracy Daniels, an employee at North Star Lodge.

Instead they’re walking into a comforting environment that offers the surgery, radiation and chemotherapy that cancer patients need. People from across the state come here to get the care they need.

“Patients come from Spokane, a woman is from Walla Walla and several people from the Tri Cities,” said Dr. Tom Boyd, Director of Oncology at North Star Lodge.

Over the last three years North Star has become very popular thanks to their many new treatments.

“Cutting edge therapy that’s not available in the seattle area,” said Boyd.

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the valley area. It’s because of this that North Star has created Star Study, research focusing on breast cancer prevention.

“It was successful in reducing the risk of women by about 50 percent,” said Boyd.

And they don’t stop there. North Star started a new cancer study today to find more options for their patients.

“Treatments that are perhaps a little more mild in their side effects and far more effective against the cancer,” said Boyd.