When it comes to breast cancer, you need a treatment plan that satisfies your unique needs. Type of breast cancer, stage of disease, location of the tumor and personal preferences are just a few of the factors we’ll consider when developing your personalized treatment plan.
Accredited Breast Care Center
Accredited by the Commission on Cancer with Commendation in the Community Hospital Cancer Program
Member of the Masonic Cancer Alliance
Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. If you’re one of the women affected by breast cancer, we want to ensure you receive the services and treatment that facilitate the best possible outcome. Accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, that’s what you’ll find here. From annual screenings and advanced diagnostics to genetic testing and leading-edge oncology care, your multidisciplinary team will provide a complete range of breast care and coordinate treatment options that best fit your needs.
Your care team is likely to include a surgeon whose job is to oversee any necessary mastectomies (surgical removal of one or both breasts), lumpectomy (targeted removal of a cancerous lump or abnormal tissue in the breast), or reconstructive procedures.
Meet Olathe Health Cancer Center’s breast surgeon, Craig A. Anderson, MD, FACS.
Medical Oncologists
Every patient works with a medical oncologist, who diagnoses and treats cancer using medicine. Depending on your needs, you may also work with a radiation oncologist whose job is to oversee radiation therapy.
Meet Olathe Health Cancer Center’s medical oncologists, Larry Corum, MD and David Lee, MD.
Radiation Oncologists
Radiation oncologists work closely with patients, family members and other cancer care specialists to develop the most effective raditatoin treatment plan possible for each patient.
Meet Olathe Health Cancer Center’s radiation oncologists, Kelly Rhodes-Stark, MD and Bertram Maidment, III, MD.
From diagnosis through your last treatment, Janet Matthias, BSN, RN, will serve as your dedicated breast nurse navigator. As your nurse navigator, Janet will provide you with support and assist with challenges that can arise during breast cancer treatment and recovery. Janet can also help schedule appointments and connect you with support services. Janet is certified by the Oncology Nursing Society in chemotherapy and immunotherapy and has spent the previous three years as a radiation oncology coordinator.
Janet can be reached by email at [email protected] or 913-355-7831.
You may need additional help throughout your breast cancer journey. From specialized nurses, cardiologists, physician assistants, pharmacists and nutritionists to social workers, psychologists and financial counselors, our support services team has all your needs covered.
Here’s a closer look at how members of this team can help.
Social Worker
Your social worker, Paola Alor, LSCSW, will provide support to you, your family and/or caregivers to give you the resources and tools you need to thrive throughout your cancer journey.
Paola can be reached by email at [email protected] or 913-355-3910.
Cardiologists
Depending on the treatment you receive, a cardiologist may assess you for the potential risk of developing heart conditions if you take certain types of cancer drugs or have radiation therapy to the chest.
Pharmacists
Your pharmacy team is responsible for preparing and administering your personalized drug therapy regimen. Your pharmacy team is responsible for processing your medication orders, preparing treatment protocols and consulting with your oncologists, and answering any drug-related questions you or your family might have.
Mammography
3D mammograms help doctors to look at breast tissue in dozens of tiny layers, which means more precise imaging to reduce unnecessary, and sometimes worrisome callbacks. 3D mammography is especially effective for invasive and hard-to-find cancers, and for women who are high risk or who have dense breast tissue. Every mammogram is read by a fellowship-trained breast radiologist to ensure you get the care you need.
Our breast imaging navigator, Krista Thurlow, is available to assist with appointments and answer questions to help make your experience with us as seamless as possible. Krista can be reached by email at [email protected].
Schedule Your Mammogram
Women who have an average risk of breast cancer, should begin mammograms at age 40, and continue to get screened every one to two years. Women who are at a high risk of breast cancer, should begin mammograms at age 30, and continue to get screened every year.
To schedule your mammogram, please call one of the following locations:
The FAST Breast MRI Screening is a screening tool used in combination with mammography to identify breast cancer in early stages, when it is easiest to treat. It should not replace yearly screenings mammograms and is not for women with symptoms or a disease diagnosis. Mammography is still the best option for detecting breast changes from year to year and is critical in early breast cancer detection.
Benefits:
Olathe Health offers a high-risk breast clinic for individuals at an increased risk of developing breast cancer due to personal risk factors. Our nurse practitioner, Melanie Knight, APRN, CGRA, CRNFA, will meet with patients to complete a detailed risk assessment and formulate a risk-reduction program and develop a personal surveillance strategy for each patient.
Genetic Testing – Genetic counselors can help you better understand your risk for breast and/or ovarian cancer and how genetic testing will affect you and your family. Counselors can also discuss options to reduce the risk of cancer if a mutation is found. Qualifying patients may also receive genetic testing and/or a referral for genetic counseling,
You might be a candidate for our high-risk breast clinic if you:
- Have a family history of breast cancer
- Have had an abnormal mammogram
- Have a known genetic mutation (based on having had genetic testing)
- Have a first-degree relative (parent, brother, sister, or child) with a known genetic mutation, and have not had genetic testing themselves
If you think you might be a candidate for our High-Risk Breast Clinic, talk with your primary care provider about a referral, or call Melanie Knight, APRN, CGRA, CRNFA, at 913-355-7832.
The Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic is available to newly diagnosed breast
cancer patients. For many patients, this is the first and most important step in
their treatment journey.
Benefits:
If you have a question about the Olathe Health Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic,
contact Janet Matthias at [email protected] or 913-355-7831.
Breast surgery is typically the primary treatment for breast cancer. Lumpectomy and mastectomy are the most common breast surgeries performed. For additional information, visit Breast Cancer 360, a resource presented by The American Society of Breast Surgeons Foundation. Craig A. Anderson, MD, FACS, is Olathe Health’s breast surgeon.
Plastic surgery can be an integral part of your cancer care, depending on your surgical decisions. The board-certified specialists at Olathe Health perform advanced surgery and procedures, including many minimally invasive options.
Available Medical Oncology Treatments:
More than 50% of people with cancer receive radiation therapy. Radiation therapy, which causes DNA damage within cells, is used to help treat your tumor directly or to help manage the pain caused by your cancer. Radiation used in cancer treatment works similar to that of an X-ray to see inside your body. The difference is that this radiation is given at higher doses.
All breast radiation oncology services are available in the Olathe Health Pavilion on the campus of Olathe Medical Center.
Breast Brachytherapy Treatment
Olathe Health offers breast brachytherapy treatment, a targeted form of internal radiation. Brachytherapy delivers higher doses of radiation to targeted areas of the body using a special device that is implanted by your breast surgeon. This targeted radiation minimizes radiation exposure for healthy tissue, and may cause fewer side effects. Treatment time is usually shorter, averaging about five days instead of four to six weeks with traditional, external beam radiation therapy.
Linear Accelerator Radiation
The linear accelerator is one of the most sophisticated radiation technologies available. It allows for enhanced speed and accuracy when delivering targeted radiation—accurate to the millimeter—to allow for even more precise targeting and treatment of tumors. In some cases, this will reduce the number of treatments needed by patients. The linear accelerator allows for additional types of therapies that use exact localization of tumors in the body to treat small, precise radiation fields and requires only a few minutes to complete in outpatient settings.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
SBRT is a procedure that uses the linear accelerator to deliver fast and accurate high-dose radiation treatment. The procedure uses a specially designed system for exact localization of tumors in the body to treat small, precise radiation fields. It is commonly used to treat many types of cancers, including lung, prostate, pancreas, liver and metastatic disease.
Olathe Health Cancer Center has access to the latest research and clinical trials through the NCI-backed Masonic Cancer Alliance. Participating in clinical trials can provide you with access to innovative treatments, also allowing you to take an active role in your healthcare. Talk to your doctor or another member of your health care team to learn more about the clinical trials available to you.
Olathe resident and real estate agent Bev Huff was fighting breast cancer long before she was diagnosed in November 2020. Because of early detection and treatment at the Olathe Health Cancer Center, Bev has made a full recovery.
Current patients who have Patient Portal access can now schedule their mammograms online!
Schedule MammogramRegular mammogram screenings are key in diagnosing breast cancer early.
There is a 1 in 8 chance a woman will develop breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. The best protection you have is to get a mammogram.
