New cancer treatment services offered by Saint Joseph — London [The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.]

Jan. 09--CORBIN -- A new service to the southeast part of Kentucky has developed.

At the beginning of the year, Commonwealth Cancer Center, at London Mountain View Drive transitioned to Saint Joseph Hematology/Oncology.

It is a department of Saint Joseph -- London but remains just off KY 80 west of London.

"We see patients for the medical oncology side," explained Nurse Linda Gibson.

It's the care of cancer patients, she added.

They also care for those with hematology or diseases of blood.

Patients will be referred by their physician or surgeon. "They'll come here and they will be seen by our physicians here. Based on their needs we'll order the appropriate tests we need."

The tests are based on the patient's diagnosis.

"For most diagnoses we do a P.E.T. scan," she said.

They also do magnetic resonance imaging.

Those scans are, "to see if the disease has spread from it's original site," she explained.

The office does very few skin cancers, those are cared for by dermatologists, she said.

The P.E.T. scans are done at the facility with a mobile unit that usually comes to the office on Tuesdays.

MRI scans are done at the Saint Joseph -- London hospital's primary campus off KY 192 just west of London, she said.

If someone needs chemotherapy "and all their staging work is complete, then we will establish a treatment plan," Gibson said.

"Once we get a treatment plan, we have to approve through their insurance. If the patient doesn't have insurance there are several foundations that assist with that as well as the hospital has funding for those."

Chemo-therapy is done at the facility, she added.

The physician supervises the chemotherapy.

The office has a staff of six registered nurses, two physicians, M. Azeem Niazi, M.D. and Mridula Vinjamuri, M.D., two laboratory assistants and three front office personnel.

Carmel Jones, chief operations officer of Saint Joseph Health System Physician Enterprise commented, "We are very excited to transition these services from Commonwealth Cancer Center to a newly department of Saint Joseph -- London."

The hours of operation are Monday through 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

To schedule appointments call 606-330-7900.

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