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  • STAT Clinic for Head & Neck Cancer Care Comes to North Fulton
Article Category: Highlights

STAT Clinic for Head & Neck Cancer Care Comes to North Fulton

Highly specialized care for people across the Southeast

Published on August 10, 2022

Last updated 08:05 PM August 10, 2022

Wellstar now offers advanced care for people with head and neck cancer in Roswell.

Wellstar now offers advanced care for people with head and neck cancer—a complex disease that is often aggressive and requires coordination amongst multiple cancer experts. The new STAT Clinic for Head & Neck Cancer opened on the campus of Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center on August 11, 2022. 

People with all types and stages of head and neck cancer have access to expert care and advanced treatments that are typically only available at academic centers. Treatments available in North Fulton include complex excision and reconstruction with microvascular free tissue transfers as well as CyberKnife radiation treatments.

Technologically advanced CyberKnife care close to home

In Wellstar’s STAT Clinics—short for Specialty Teams and Treatments—patients can see multiple cancer subspecialists to be diagnosed, have questions answered and finalize a treatment plan in a single day. This reduces the need to drive to different locations and helps the patient start treatment faster. 

“The concept of multidisciplinary care is tried and true and shown to be effective for cancer patients,” said Dr. Fiyin Sokoya, the head and neck cancer surgeon who co-founded the North Fulton STAT Clinic for Head & Neck Cancer. “This model decreases the time to proceed and receive care.”

First, a group of medical specialists including a head and neck cancer surgeon and facial plastic surgeon, a radiation oncologist, a medical oncologist, a pathologist and a neuroradiologist review the patient’s pathology and imaging as a group to diagnose, stage and create a personalized treatment plan. 

Next, the patient and their family meet one-on-one with the head and neck cancer surgeon, radiation oncologist and medical oncologist. This is an opportunity for the patient to learn about the recommended treatments and ask questions. 

“Traditionally, patients must drive to several different appointments to learn the stage of their cancer, meet with different specialists and make decisions,” said Dr. Nagender Mankan, the dedicated medical oncologist in the new STAT Clinic. “At that point, four to five weeks have gone by. In STAT Clinic, we are expediting the complicated decision-making process.” 

The patient also meets with a nurse navigator. This specialized nurse helps coordinate many aspects of care for the patient including scheduling appointments and connecting patients with support team members, such as a registered dietitian, a speech therapist or a dentist who may help relieve irritation in the mouth and throat. 

Why STAT Clinic is good for patients, and what to expect

When a STAT Clinic patient needs surgery, Dr. Sokoya is one of only a few surgeons in the region to perform complex excision and reconstruction with microvascular free tissue transfers.

“North Fulton has now become a destination center for head and neck cancer treatment because of our ability to offer advanced surgical care,” he explained. “The launch of this STAT Clinic is exciting, and it’s going to bring very advanced, high-level care to this area.”

Hundreds of patients travel to Roswell each year to seek Dr. Sokoya’s expertise from Georgia, Florida and Alabama. 

Patients from all over the Wellstar system are seeing Dr. Sokoya for complex head and neck cancer management,” said Dr. Mark McLaughlin, a Wellstar radiation oncologist who co-founded the STAT Clinic.

Adding the new clinic allows us to invite those patients to come to North Fulton for evaluation and discussion of treatment options. Then we can work with their hometown doctors.”

Technologically advanced CyberKnife care close to home

Patients of the STAT Clinic who are candidates for radiation therapy have access to the latest CyberKnife technology at Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center. The CyberKnife radiation suite is one of just two in the entire metro Atlanta area.

People with complex head and neck cancer such as large or recurrent tumors often benefit from CyberKnife radiation therapy. The technology minimizes radiation exposure to healthy tissue and limits side effects while shortening treatment courses. Normally patients receive five to eight weeks of radiation therapy. In many situations, they can complete their radiation course in as few as one to five treatments with CyberKnife.

“This highly advanced technology treats advanced head and neck cancers,” Dr. McLaughlin said. “You don’t have to go all the way into Atlanta.”

STAT Clinic for Head & Neck Cancer at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center is located at 4500 Hospital Blvd, Suite 120 in Roswell, Georgia. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the nurse navigator at (770) 751-2556.

Tags

North Fulton Medical Center Fiyin Sokoya Mark Paul McLaughlin
Nagender Mankan Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers Wellstar - 4500 Hospital Boulevard Suite 300 ENT - 1360 Upper Hembree Road Suite 101 Cancer Care Womens Health
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Screening for prostate cancer is crucial for early detection and to help provide the best possible outcome. It is especially important for Black men to be vigilant about screening, as they are disproportionately impacted by this cancer.

About 1 in 6 Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 8 white men, according to a report from the American Cancer Society. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Black men.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men at an average risk of developing prostate cancer begin screening when they are 50, but Black men should start earlier—at age 45 if they have no family history of prostate cancer, and at age 40 if any of their male relatives have had prostate cancer. Wellstar takes a personalized approach to cancer screenings, with clinicians discussing benefits versus risks of screening and helping patients evaluate their risk.

“Despite many physicians being aware of this and following this practice, Black men continue to be diagnosed with and die from metastatic prostate cancer. This is a trend that desperately needs to be reversed,” said Wellstar Primary Care Physician Dr. Earl Stewart. “We have adequate screening tools that do not even require a digital rectal examination.”

The Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test is more accurate than the digital rectal examination in helping to detect prostate cancer, according to Dr. Stewart. Patients should also discuss family history with their relatives. “Patients knowing their family history is so crucial in having those discussions with primary care physicians to determine the best age at which to start screening,” Dr. Stewart said.

Screening for prostate cancer is as simple as making a preventive appointment with your primary care physician, discussing your family history with him or her, and having a PSA blood test. This test may be performed during an annual physical or wellness visit. Shared decision making between physician and patient is important to discuss your risk, your need for testing and next steps to take if your PSA level is elevated and concerning. Knowing your risk can save your life.

“I know many personally who are near and dear to me who had the disease and who unfortunately died from complications of metastatic prostate cancer,” Dr. Stewart said. “I know many more who lived because they had the conversation and dared to move forward with appropriate screening at the appropriate age.”

Learn more about prostate cancer care at Wellstar.

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4 Common Questions About Gynecologic Cancer—Answered

The gynecologic oncologists at Wellstar care for women at all stages of life, treating a variety of conditions with compassion and offering advanced care options. Our team are experts in treating cancers such as uterine, ovarian, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers. Here, we answer common questions about gynecologic cancer care with the help of Dr. Rosa Miller Polan, a gynecologic oncologist at Wellstar Cobb Medical Center. 

What is a gynecologic oncologist?

Gynecologic oncologists are specialists trained in the multidisciplinary management of patients with cancers of the female reproductive tract. Trained originally in obstetrics and gynecology, gynecologic oncologists treat patients with complex benign gynecologic issues, as well as gynecologic cancer patients who may need surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or a combination of different treatments. 

When should you seek care?

Gynecologic cancers have different warning signs. When a person experiences concerning symptoms, a physical exam, including a pelvic exam, should be performed. Cervical and vaginal cancer symptoms include abnormal vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding and pain. The most common warning sign for uterine cancer is abnormal vaginal bleeding. In postmenopausal women, any bleeding or spotting is abnormal and should prompt an evaluation. 

Ovarian or fallopian tube cancer symptoms include bloating, constipation, pelvic or abdominal pain and difficulty eating or feeling full quickly. Vulvar cancer symptoms include itching, burning, discoloration, and new bumps or lumps on the skin outside of the vagina. 

Who is at risk for developing gynecologic cancer?

Women who smoke cigarettes are at elevated risk for cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer development. People who are immunosuppressed and those who have tested positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV) are also at increased risk. Genetics can contribute to the development of uterine, ovarian or fallopian tube cancers and these types of cancers can run in families. Obesity and use of hormone replacement therapy can put women at risk for the development of uterine, ovarian and fallopian tube cancers. A history of infertility, endometriosis and pelvic radiation are also risk factors for developing gynecologic cancer. 

What services are available at Wellstar?

At Wellstar, gynecologic oncologists provide comprehensive care for patients with gynecologic cancers, including administering chemotherapy and performing surgeries when needed. As high-volume pelvic surgeons, gynecologic oncologists also care for patients who need elective and emergent complex benign gynecologic surgery.

For many patients, robotic-assisted surgery offers a minimally invasive approach with less associated blood loss, shorter hospital stays and fewer post-operative complications. Gynecologic oncologists are some of the top users of the innovative DaVinci 5 robotic surgery platform. Performing complex gynecologic cancer surgeries, minimally invasive or otherwise, requires the type of highly specialized and multidisciplinary teams that work at Wellstar—and an infrastructure of resources to ensure patients have access to best-in-class care in their own backyard.

Learn more about gynecologic oncology at Wellstar at wellstar.org/gyncancer. 

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Stroke prevention and the future of stroke care

This article was originally published on Atlanta Business Chronicle on May 19, 2023.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. The Georgia Department of Public Health reports the state had the 12th highest stroke death rate in the country. Georgia is also part of the “stroke belt,” an area of the southeastern United States with stroke death rates 30% higher than the rest of the nation.

As the leading — but preventable — cause of disability, stroke can happen at any age.

Stroke is a medical emergency, meaning the blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and nutrients. When this happens, brain cells start to die and abilities controlled by that area of the brain, such as speech or muscle control, are lost.

New drugs and new advanced treatments — such as the Tigertriever and Artemis — are helping reduce the death and disability impact of stroke, as well as comprehensive care programs and innovative hospital partnerships that expand stroke services into rural areas.

Physicians from Wellstar Health System and the CEO of a hospital in northeast Georgia joined Atlanta Business Chronicle to discuss stroke prevention and the future of stroke care.

Panelists & moderator

  • Dr. Rishi Gupta, Endovascular Neurologist and Co-Medical Director of Neuro Care
  • Dr. Ashis Tayal, Vascular Neurologist, Wellstar, Director of Neuro Care Network
  • Van Loskoski, CEO, Stephens County Hospital
  • David Rubinger, Market President & Publisher, Atlanta Business Chronicle; Moderator

Pictured: headshots of the panel of experts from Wellstar Health System and the CEO from a rural Georgia hospital discussing advances in stroke care.

What is stroke, screening and secondary prevention

David Rubinger: Dr. Tayal, set the stage for us about the definition of stroke.

Dr. Ashis Tayal: A stroke is a sudden injury of the brain due to blockage or rupture of an artery in the brain. Injuries to the brain and disability can vary significantly.

The most common, ischemic stroke injury, is due to obstruction of an artery that causes a loss of blood flow to a critical part of the brain which damages the brain rapidly.

The other type of stroke is hemorrhagic stroke, where there’s a rupture of an artery, bleeding into the brain, or the surfaces of the brain, and that is called an intracerebral hemorrhage or a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Rubinger: I think Americans have become a little better educated as to who’s at risk for stroke, but why don’t you walk us through that. Who would be a potential stroke candidate?

Tayal: High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common risk factor for both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes. High blood pressure is an extremely common but controllable condition. Almost 80% of people have hypertension as they’re getting older.

Other risk factors include diabetes associated with elevated blood sugars causing accelerated blockage of arteries and high cholesterol, which can be related to diet and genetics.

Atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia that occurs as people get older, also places people at risk for the most severe and disabling types of strokes. And plaque buildup in specific arteries of the neck and brain also leads to an increased risk of stroke.

Smoking is another risk factor. Many adults still smoke despite a lot of progress in stroke treatment, and smoking puts people at risk for different types of stroke.

Rubinger: What about atmospheric things like stress and other areas like that? How does that play into it? Or do those things manifest themselves because of the other underlying physical conditions?

Tayal: I don’t view stress, in and of itself, as a risk factor for stroke. I think that’s more related to people’s environments and their own personalities and how they respond to stress. I do think people who are under undue stress can have poor lifestyle habits, and those poor lifestyle habits, whether poor eating habits, smoking, weight gain or lack of exercise, can lead to conditions that increase the risk for stroke.

Rubinger: So how is the healthcare system doing treating strokes? Do you believe that what’s going on at the primary care provider’s office is helping or do we have a way to go?

Tayal: In the United States, preventive care has improved the treatment of risk factors that lead to stroke, but communities must maintain routine checkups as many of the risk factors are silent.

There are improved treatments for hypertension, more aggressive treatment for diabetes, and more efforts at smoking cessation. Just the fact that we treat hypertension better than we did a generation ago has had a great impact on lowering the prevalence of stroke.

That being said, some of the most exciting work on stroke has often been done in the area of acute treatment of stroke with clot-busting drugs, catheter-based treatments and medications to protect the brain during an acute injury.

Rubinger: Has pharmacology gotten better in terms of the hypertension medicines that are out there? Have anti-cholesterol medicines improved in recent years?

Tayal: In the past, healthcare providers were often undertreating people with hyperlipidemia — high cholesterol — and not fully appreciating the benefits of significant reductions in cholesterol levels. For example, we’ve learned that driving cholesterol down into much lower ranges under 55 mg/dL can benefit our patients who have vascular disease as a cause for their stroke.

In the fight against high cholesterol, newer medications that prevent the absorption of cholesterol are now available. Recent developments have led to the discovery of a new underutilized class of drugs called PCSK-9 inhibitors that are highly effective.

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