Treating a complicated disease like breast cancer requires the involvement
of several specialists, which can often feel overwhelming to a patient,
especially at the beginning stages of treatment. This is where the King’s
Daughters Multi-Disciplinary Breast Clinic comes into play.
The clinic, located in the King’s Daughters Oncology Center of Excellence
on the fifth floor of Medical Plaza A, brings medical and radiation oncologists,
plastic surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, breast navigators, geneticists
and a breast surgeon together in a single space, eliminating the need
for a patient to travel to each on their own.
The clinic is open to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients every Wednesday
starting at 8 a.m. Prior to this, the specialists come together for a
breast/tumor board conference to review each patient’s imaging and
pathology slides, to discuss possible course of treatment and to create
a plan of care. The specialists leave the conference with the same understanding
of each individual situation and are able to share the same recommended
treatment strategy with every patient, reducing potential confusion.
“Our goal with the Multi-Disciplinary Breast Clinic is to get all
of those people, or at least as many people as possible that are involved
in the care of breast cancer patients, into one room immediately to discuss
their cases and to see those patients afterward,” said King’s
Daughters oncologist Chad Tarabolous, M.D. “The benefit is everybody
is on the same page and patients are able to essentially get one message
from everybody.”
Patients typically visit the Multi-Disciplinary Breast Clinic about a week
after diagnosis. Up to four patients can be seen each Wednesday. Every
appointment is completed over the course of a single day, making the entire
early treatment process much easier on the patient.
During the visit, patients see King’s Daughters breast surgeon M.
Katherine Hughes, M.D., who discusses surgical options, including lumpectomy,
where only the cancer is removed from the breast; or mastectomy, where
one or both breasts are removed. Follow-up treatments following surgery
are also discussed and planned. The patient also sees the medical oncologist.
Genetic testing is provided to breast cancer patients, which can determine
whether a genetic mutation is present. That can also influence treatment
options. These results can help patients understand their risk for other
cancers and help family members understand their own risk for cancer as well.
“(Patients) know exactly what their treatment is going to be, or
at least what their treatment options are. Ultimately the Multi-Disciplinary
Breast Clinic also saves the patient’s time because they’re
getting all of their visits in one day,” said Dr. Tarabolous.
The Multi-Disciplinary Breast Clinic has been operating since 2019. Any
patient who has a new breast cancer diagnosis is offered the option of
attending the Multi-Disciplinary Breast Clinic, but it’s not required.
Patients who choose not to participate in the Multi-Disciplinary Breast
Clinic continue to receive state-of-the-art care, and their cases are
thoroughly discussed and reviewed at tumor board conferences, Dr. Tarabolous noted.
For more information on the Multi-Disciplinary Breast Clinic, please call
(606) 408-1639.
