“You have breast cancer,” is a scary phrase to hear from your doctor. As you deal with a multitude of emotions, you find yourself in a world that feels scary and confusing as you start to schedule appointments and make decisions. If you have just been diagnosed with breast cancer, or are close to someone who has, you probably have a lot of questions.
The Combined Breast Cancer Clinic at Portneuf Medical Center was established specifically to meet the needs of our breast cancer patients. Newly diagnosed patients schedule one appointment to meet collectively with their surgeon, radiation oncologist and medical oncologist. At that single appointment, the medical team discusses appropriate treatment options and then consults with the patient to outline a treatment plan that is unique to their specific diagnosis. The team of cancer experts is there to answer patient’s questions concerning surgery and post-operative care, radiation and oncology treatments, as well as to provide necessary resources so each patient knows what to expect.
The combined breast cancer clinic significantly reduces the amount of time between diagnosis and treatment. It provides a one-stop place to meet your cancer care team, offers each patient a clear overview and understanding of their course of treatment and for those who travel from outside of Pocatello, it cuts travel time and associated costs.
Like other major cancer facilities, Portneuf Cancer Center follows the published guidelines for cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment as established by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). The NCCN guidelines set the standard of care for the treatment of cancer patients.
In addition to our unique, individual patient-physician appointments, the entire Cancer Center team collaborates weekly and collectively with social workers, dieticians, radiation therapists, our medical oncology and radiation oncology colleagues and nursing staff. We meet to discuss every patient on therapy and we discuss problems such as medical, social and other issues. Additionally, occurring on a monthly basis, we have specialized tumor boards for breast, lung and general cancers. Tumor board members include radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, hematologists, surgeons, pathologists and radiologist. We review cases, x-rays, pathology and develop a general treatment consensus.
With our unique peer review process, we can guarantee the highest level of care and the best possible outcome. We know collaborative review and a team approach to cancer treatment is vital to ensuring that nothing goes unnoticed.
Collectively, our highly skilled surgeons and oncology team recognizes that the diagnosis and subsequent breast cancer surgery is very personal. Our goal is to help you understand all of your options so that together we can decide on the best treatment plan for you. We rely on a team approach to ensure that each patient receives care based on the latest NCCN guidelines to ensure you are treated within the accepted standards of care.