PATIENT CARE
Gynecologic oncologist Katherine Moxley, M.D., left, is pictured with her patient Tara Dominguez.
Cancer Survivor Encourages Other Survivors to Return to Those Things That Inspire Their Passions Tara Dominguez didn’t fit the profile, if there is one. She was young, with no personal or family history of cancer, and with none of the “usual” risk factors. The diagnosis – cervical cancer - was shocking. It was early in 2016, and a routine pap smear revealed an abnormal growth. A subsequent biopsy with Dominguez’ regular obstetrician-gynecologist determined cancer was present. “I asked where I should go for treatment – thinking I might be headed to Houston or New York. When I found out there was a cutting-edge cancer center right here in Oklahoma City, it really put my mind at ease,” Dominguez said. Her doctor referred her to Katherine Moxley, M.D., Stephenson Cancer Center gynecologic oncologist.
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As a pharmacist, Dominguez had a healthcare background and her education was science-heavy. With that perspective, she familiarized herself with treatment guidelines. She understood the drugs and what therapy entailed. She asked myriad questions and gained a thorough understanding of what she was facing. “I got in to see Dr. Moxley right away. When I met her, she already had a plan and I was scheduled for surgery within a month,” Dominguez said. Dominguez had what was believed to be a fairly early-stage cervical cancer. According to Moxley, the imaging studies looked normal, but did not tell the whole story. Initially, surgery was the primary treatment, and in 85% of cases,
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