Multi-Disciplinary Clinic

Making early treatment easier

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.