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Article Category: Highlights

World-Class Resources, Personalized Care: West Georgia Cancer Treatment

Published on November 17, 2021

Last updated 04:34 PM November 17, 2021

Exterior photo of the Wellstar Enoch Callaway Cancer Center.

Patients in West Georgia don’t need to drive to Atlanta for life-saving cancer care. The Enoch Callaway Cancer Center keeps quality care close to home and combines the resources of a large facility with the personalized, compassionate feel of a smaller location.

“One of my missions is to bring great cancer care to people close to where they live, so they can access that care much more easily,” said Wellstar Radiation Oncologist Dr. Robert Taylor. “To have Wellstar backing this world-class treatment, building this new cancer center and this fantastic team that we have, is absolutely stellar.”

At the Enoch Callaway Cancer Center at Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, patients will find the latest in technology and clinical trials, paired with expert providers who care for both their physical and mental well-being.


Eliminating tumors virtually

Cutting-edge technology at the Cancer Center allows providers to target tumors using X-ray technology, keeping the journey to living cancer-free painless for patients.

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy takes about 30 minutes per treatment, with some patients requiring multiple treatments and others only needing one. It is most effective in early stage brain or lung cancer and can also be used to treat metastatic cancer.

“We’re able to use X-rays to very precisely target a tumor and literally kill that tumor inside there without the patient undergoing any surgery,” Dr. Taylor said. “Despite the name, there’s no cutting involved, and there’s no anesthesia involved.”

The patient lies on a table for the treatment, and “at the end of that 30 minutes, they will get up off that treatment table and walk out of the facility feeling the same as they did when they came in,” Dr. Taylor said.

“It’s absolutely miraculous to see people get off the table and know their brain tumor has been cured or their lung cancer has been cured,” Dr. Taylor said.

Bringing Cancer Care To You

A team of experts by your side

Wellstar is part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, so physicians at Wellstar can consult with Mayo Clinic specialists on complex cases at any time. This service is provided at no extra cost to patients.

“We form a personalized plan for each patient. With access to Mayo Clinic expertise, we are able to further personalize that plan,” Dr. Taylor said.

Wellstar’s providers also collaborate with each other. In weekly meetings, medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, pathologists and diagnostic radiologists consult with support staff including nurse navigators, pharmacists and social workers to discuss each patient’s unique condition and create the best treatment plan.

“One treatment that might be right for one patient is not right for another patient,” Dr. Taylor said. “Our goal in providing world-class treatment and care is to provide all the different options that a patient can have and we work with the patient to find the best one.”


Providing PeopleCare

Cancer care is not just about treating the medical condition. Providers at the Enoch Callaway Cancer Center care for patients’ physical and mental well-being.

“It’s not just chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. It’s also diet. It’s also spiritual health,” Dr. Taylor said. “You need to address the mind and body in order to get a personalized care plan for each individual cancer patient.”

In addition to cutting-edge technology and expert cancer treatment, patients can take advantage of other programs to stay well. Art, cooking and crochet classes provide patients with a creative outlet and an opportunity to pick up a new hobby. A registered dietitian works with each patient to help them learn nutritious eating. Nurse navigators educate patients about their diagnosis and connect them with resources.

This is what we call PeopleCare at Wellstar. It's personalized, tailored care for each patient.

“Patients don’t feel like they’re a little cog in the wheel of a giant place where you come in and they don’t even know you,” Dr. Taylor said. “They get greeted at the door, the cancer navigator brings them around, they know all the people who are treating them and we spend a lot of extra time with each patient.”

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Cancer Center - 111 Medical Drive Robert B Taylor Jr Cancer Care
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A healthcare provider consults with her patient

Highlights

Personalized Breast Care Close to Home at Wellstar North Fulton

By Wellstar Breast Surgeon Dr. Laura Pearson

I have never met a woman who enjoyed getting mammograms, including myself. They can be uncomfortable, awkward and anxiety-provoking—especially if you have had scares in the past or are at high risk for getting breast cancer.

There are so many additional resources for risk reduction and surveillance available that go hand-in-hand with mammograms. At Wellstar, reducing your risk and screening for cancer starts with a physical from your primary care doctor.

If you are at average risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin annual screening mammograms at age 40. If you have a family history or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent screening. If something is detected on a mammogram, the Wellstar Comprehensive Breast Health Program has nurse navigators who will help arrange diagnostic imaging, biopsy procedures and referrals to breast specialists. If you are diagnosed with cancer, the compassionate and oncology-trained nurse navigators with Wellstar Cancer Care walk patients through diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and beyond.

If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, your treatment and care will transition from our Comprehensive Breast Health Program to the Wellstar Cancer Care team. In Wellstar STAT Clinics, which stands for Specialty Teams and Treatment, we put you at the center of your care plan. In our STAT Clinic for Breast Cancer, the care team, including breast oncology nurse navigators, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, nutritionists and genetic counselors, will meet with you and your support system on the same day to formulate a treatment plan personalized to your specific cancer, as well as your personal and cultural needs. Patients are able to ask questions, make decisions and start treatment sooner, improving outcomes.

Many times, surgical intervention can be done as an outpatient procedure. We can also offer some people intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT—the option of doing their radiation treatment in the operating room at the same time as their lumpectomy, meaning they are able to avoid four to six weeks of radiation treatments. Any other interventions, such as chemotherapy or radiation, including our CyberKnife for treatments like targeted partial breast radiation therapy, are found in the cancer center on Wellstar North Fulton’s medical campus. We have physical therapists, social workers and palliative care specialists who are there for you if the need arises.

Your Wellstar care team can also help you reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Being overweight or obese or being a smoker can increase your risk. Patients at Wellstar have access to our Center for Best Health to assist in weight management. We also have smoking cessation programs and dietitians waiting to help you make healthier choices that can positively impact your health.

Wellstar provides more than healthcare, PeopleCare—working relentlessly to exceed national standards and our patients’ expectations while remembering the humanity of every patient. We are here for all the situations and stages of our patients’ lives by offering the tools and resources to be healthy and thrive. Wellstar clinicians live in the communities we serve. We must get physicals, mammograms and biopsies. We need help being our healthiest selves. We get sick and have family members who need compassionate care. PeopleCare means offering our patients world-class healthcare in the communities where they live and work.

Your care team can put your mammogram order in Wellstar MyChart to book online, or you can schedule by calling (678) 581-5900.

Visit wellstar.org/northfultoncancercare to learn more about cancer care at Wellstar North Fulton.

Keep reading
At 26, Maria receives chemotherapy as part of her breast cancer treatment plan, determined to complete her interior design degree on time.

PeopleCare

MariaCare

Maria Fernanda Ortiz was a college junior, pursuing a degree in interior design. But at just 26 years old, her life took an unexpected turn. She discovered a lump in her breast, which led to a cancer diagnosis and expert, multidisciplinary care at Wellstar that would shape her professional aspirations in the future. Maria feels her hopeful attitude and compassionate care team at Wellstar helped her come through treatment with positive outcomes.

Feeling heard in healthcare

After Maria discovered a lump, she initially saw a doctor who went through the motions but didn’t seem to take her concerns seriously. 

“He was so sure it was nothing because I am so young,” she remembered. “I didn’t think it was cancer, but I wanted someone who would get to the bottom of it.”

She then saw her OB/GYN who referred her to Dr. Laura Pearson, a Wellstar breast surgeon at Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center, for a second opinion. 

Maria got what she was looking for: a doctor who listened and would help her find answers. 

“Maria is the perfect example of a patient advocating for themselves,” Dr. Pearson said. “She did exactly what she was supposed to do for someone her age who finds a lump. When it didn’t go away, she got it looked at. When she didn’t feel like she was being heard, she didn’t let it go.”

 

A surprising cancer diagnosis

Dr. Pearson immediately performed an ultrasound in the office, followed quickly by a biopsy, which came back positive for cancer. 

"The diagnosis was scary," Maria said. “Dr. Pearson made it as simple as possible to understand by making sketches. She took the time to answer my questions—and she gave me hugs.”

Dr. Pearson added, “I try hard to be methodical and build a story: ‘This is what this means. This is how it applies to you.’ It’s important for patients to understand their plan and how it’s based very specifically on their situation.”

Maria was diagnosed with stage 2A breast cancer, meaning it was a small tumor but had spread to a nearby lymph node. 

“The stage helps us understand how the patient is going to do with standard treatment,” Dr. Pearson explained. “At stage 2A, we’re looking at a 90% survival rate.”

Keep reading
Illustration of group of men

Highlights

Prostate Cancer Screening in Black Men

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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