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Breast:
The Montana Cancer Center provides a single point of contact for women in all areas of breast health. Our breast care coordinator is a nurse who will answer your questions about breast health, and will offer breast cancer education and support to newly diagnosed patients. She will work with you as your personal guide to help you navigate through your health care options and ensure you have all of the resources available to help you make informed decisions. The services provided by the coordinator are free.

You do not have to face breast issues with uncertainty or feel as if you are alone. She will assist in coordinating your care, ensure all your questions are answered, work with your physicians, provide information, and ensure you receive test results as quickly as possible. A support group where you can meet other women who may share your diagnosis is also offered.

You may contact the Breast Care Coordinator yourself or be referred by any health care professional. You can reach Char Houska, RN by calling 329-5656.

Prostate:
St. Patrick Hospital began a prostate seed implant program in May of 2000, under the guidance of the Seattle Prostate Institute of Seattle, WA. Our program is supported by a diverse team of professionals consisting of Urologists, Radiation Oncologists, Physicists and Nurses. We have now performed over 200 implant procedures. To ensure that the patient continues to receive the best possible care and optimal results, we maintain an active program of peer review and quality assurance. After the procedure, xray studies are taken of the patient and judged, both in-house and by the Seattle group, for a quality distribution. The Seattle group advises our team on new, modern techniques that we incorporate in our routine- thus ensuring that our patients receive excellent care.

Stereo Tactic Radiosurgery:
The Montana Cancer Center’s Radiosurgery Group includes radiosurgery specialists committed to providing experienced radiosurgery treatment for each patient by combining each member’s unique expertise with state of the art technology. We have been providing stereotactic radiosurgery services to Western Montana and Eastern Idaho since 1999. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-invasive treatment that can be done in one day as an outpatient. It is designed to deliver a single focal high dose of radiation to lesions within the brain with sub-millimeter accuracy. Lesions treated are primary brain tumors, metastatic brain tumors, acoustic neuromas, meningiomas and arteriovenous malformations.

Cancer Registry:
The Cancer Program at St. Patrick Hospital is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program, the highest approval available for a community hospital. For the patient, this means that the staff must adhere to certain guidelines and regulations concerning patient care, the collection and dissemination of data through published reports, various clinical studies and submit to an on-site survey once every three years.

Lifetime follow-up of all cancer patients is one of the primary goals of the Cancer Registry. This process provides reminders to the physicians and the patient to have regular examinations for continued medical supervision ensuring early detection and treatment of a recurrence or early diagnosis of a subsequent cancer. To date our Registry is following approximately 4.050 cases annually, and we maintain a 94% follow-up rate on all patients known to be alive.

For additional information or a copy of our annual report you can contact LaDonna Shepard, CTR at 406-329-5649 Chaffin, CTR at 406-329-5609.

Oncology Dietitian
Cancer and its treatments can have a major impact on your nutritional demands. At the same time, they often impact your ability and desire to eat or drink. However, the benefits of good nutrition are extensive and include improved immune function, preservation of lean body mass and re-growth of damaged tissues. The goal of nutrition therapy is to prevent weight loss, reduce adverse side effects, and promote positive eating habits that allow you to maintain the best quality of life. If you are a patient at Montana Cancer Center, our experienced oncology dietitian, Kari Leach, can support you in optimizing your nutritional status through her expertise in food and nutrition. She can offer you recommendations based on your individual needs to help maximize nutritional status before, during and after cancer treatment. If you would like to have a consultation with Kari, please contact her at (406) 329-2671, email her at kleach@saintpatrick.org or ask your nurse or doctor for a referral.