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Arizona Daily Sun
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Sunday, September 30, 2018 - 1
OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Flagstaff
Breast Cancer Clinic Neighbors taking care of neighbors
By Janel States James
Oncologists in Flagstaff are taking a united approach in breast cancer care. (Adobe Stock)
I
t’s almost universal. A serious medical diagnosis changes
everything in a moment and puts people into uncharted and often overwhelming territory. It’s universal, too, that when faced with a life-changing diagnosis, we want to know that someone has our back, that people will work together to help us when we need it most, and that our care matters. Flagstaff’s Breast Cancer Clinic operates with a comprehensive care approach to meet the needs of those facing a breast cancer diagnosis. The clinic is fairly new, opening its doors just two years ago after Kate Preston, a surgical oncologist with Flagstaff Surgical Associates, suggested that a multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer care might be beneficial to patients. She put together a team of doctors from each of the three major cancer treatment disciplines: surgical oncology, medical oncology and radiation oncology. Under the multidisciplinary approach, all three physicians meet at the same time with a newly diagnosed cancer patient to determine the best course of treatment. “Just having a surgeon take the lead made it easier to get the clinic started,” says breast cancer nurse Nancy Foreman. “[Preston] just said, ‘Let’s make this happen.’” Dr. Peter Mathern of Arizona Oncology and Dr. Andrew David, director of radiation oncology for
Northern Arizona Healthcare in Flagstaff, joined Preston on the team, and together they see about 60 patients a year, a number which is expected to grow as the clinic becomes better known. “We’ve seen the great benefit of having all three doctors see the patient at one time. It’s just a really good system,” says Foreman. “To be honest, as a nurse who has worked with physicians for a lot of years, I really didn’t know how three of them in one room working together would be, but these are the best, most coordinated physicians.” In addition to the three primary specialists, the clinic also works closely with Northern Arizona Healthcare Surgery, Plastic Surgeons of Northern Arizona, Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona, Northern Arizona Radiology, and Pathology of Northern Arizona to ensure complete cancer care. “This is a very united breast cancer clinic,” says Foreman. Before the Breast Cancer Clinic opened,
cancer care could look quite different, with the patient seeing three separate doctors for three separate appointments. “You may have been scheduled to see the surgeon first,” says Foreman, “but the surgeon may have decided you really needed to see the medical oncologist or the radiation oncologist first.” This could be an unwelcome surprise to a patient expecting to begin treatment right away, with the additional delay only adding to the stress of the situation. “We are not working in individual silos,” says Foreman. “We work together to give the patient the best plan and the speediest entry into the system.” Everyone gives their input, she says, and together they create a customized treatment plan. In fact, the beginning of treatment through the Breast Cancer Clinic averages 14 days after diagnosis, a full week earlier than treatment in a more traditional system. On top of that, says Foreman, they are also “getting the sequence of treatment right more quickly.” Once a patient is admitted to the clinic, Foreman is the first one they see. She answers questions and explains what are often new terms for patients. “It’s like learning another language,” she says, but having to learn it under intense stress. “When patients come in, sometimes their brains just shut down. I always tell people you need to hear things over and over for it really to sink in. “One of our nurses was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago and I went with her to see the surgeon. He did a really good job of sitting down with her and going over everything, but when he left the room, she
looked at me and said, ‘What did he just say?’ The emotional stress is just incredible.” In fact, Foreman says, patients retain only 5 to 10 percent of what you tell them, so “giving them a good baseline education before they meet the team is really important.” Foreman’s job goes beyond the preliminary education, however. She is also the point person for coordinating future appointments, for sorting out the small details that don’t seem so small when facing cancer treatment – like transportation and health insurance – and for emotional support. “I make sure they’ve got a support system and that they know when to stop asking their neighbors for opinions. I help them figure out how to tell their kids, or their 90-year-old mother, that they’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer. I spend a lot of time with them after the doctors see them in the clinic. They get to be friends, and that’s just awesome.” Foreman hopes that more people will become aware of the top-notch care the Breast Cancer Clinic offers right here in Flagstaff. Too often, she says, people still think they need to go to Phoenix for care. “They do have excellent care there,” she says, “but we are also excellent here.” As Charlotte Thweatt, one of Foreman’s colleagues says, “We are neighbors taking care of neighbors.” Foreman agrees. “It really is like that. A lot of good neighbors. Everybody really cares.” The Flagstaff Breast Cancer Clinic is accessed by primary care physician referral. For additional information, call (928) 213-6213.
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