Dorcy Cancer Center

Your doctor may recommend specific cancer screenings based on your personal health history, age, and risk factors. New, advanced imaging technology allows us to catch cancer earlier and more accurately, which significantly improves the chances of successful treatment.

CommonSpirit Dorcy Cancer Center St. Mary-Corwin offers cancer screening and diagnostic services. Our comprehensive services include:

• 3D mammography
• Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS)
• Digital screening and diagnostic mammography
• Ultrasound-guided breast biopsy
• Breast MRI
• MRI-guided breast biopsy
• Stereotactic biopsy
• PET/CT scans
• Diagnostic MRI
• Diagnostic CT
• Bone densitometry screening
• Colonoscopy
• Interventional Radiology

Chemotherapy may be used in your cancer treatment. This is a type of systemic therapy - a treatment that circulates through the body in the bloodstream. Systemic therapies can include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. These therapies are administered by mouth, injection, or infusion (IV).

Our board-certified medical oncologists will create an individualized treatment plan for your cancer and unique circumstances. All systemic cancer therapies are overseen by physicians, often with the support of oncology-specific advanced practice providers.

Our Infusion Center at CommonSpirit Dorcy Cancer Center St. Mary-Corwin offers access to high-quality infusion and chemotherapy services. Staffed by registered nurses who specialize in administering cancer treatments, we provide personalized, compassionate, and comfortable care to every patient. Every nurse on our team is required to obtain and maintain the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Certificate. This mandatory credentialing reflects our commitment to patient safety and evidence-based excellence, ensuring that our nurses are consistently prepared to deliver the most advanced and reliable care in the field.

The Infusion Center offers a variety of intravenous, injectable and infusion health services, including:

• Antibiotic administration
• Blood product infusion
• Chemotherapy
• IV medications
• Phlebotomy
• IV hydration
• Injections
• Lab draws through central lines
• Central line care, including access, flushing and declotting
• Administration of specialized intravenous or injectable drugs

Our hematology and medical oncology outpatient clinic treats malignant solid tumors, blood cancers and other non-malignant blood conditions. Patients receive evaluations and follow-up care from medical oncologists, with treatment options ranging from oral medications to infusion (IV) therapies administered in our infusion center.

Our board-certified medical oncologists will create an individualized treatment plan, tailored to your unique circumstances. All systemic therapies are overseen by physicians, often with the support of oncology-specific advanced practice providers.

Our radiation oncology department provides radiation therapy for malignant and non-malignant conditions. Using advanced technology, our team of radiation oncologists, dosimetrists, physicists, radiation therapists, and nurses deliver precise treatment plans, incorporating a highly effective dose of radiation to destroy cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Patients also receive comprehensive education and nursing care throughout their treatment.

CommonSpirit Dorcy Cancer Center St. Mary-Corwin offers the following radiation treatments:

Our oncology surgeons are specifically trained to provide innovative treatment of cancers utilizing the latest surgical technologies. When appropriate, this approach is designed to remove as much cancerous tissue as possible as an integral part of your treatment plan. Surgery is often, but not always, the first step of your cancer care journey. Choosing the right surgeon, with specialized training in oncology, has been proven to improve overall patient outcomes.

Our surgical oncology services treat both malignant and non-malignant conditions. At CommonSpirit Dorcy Cancer Center St. Mary-Corwin, patients receive evaluations and follow up care, with surgeries being performed at St. Mary Corwin. At CommonSpirit Dorcy Cancer Center St. Mary-Corwin, we have surgeons on-site who specialize in Breast Surgery.

A patient can also receive Colon, Rectal, Thoracic/Lung, Melanoma, Brain/Neurosurgery, Pancreatic, Liver, and other Complex Cancer surgical care at St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs (Gynecologic Oncology) and Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs (all others), members of the CommonSpirit cancer network of care. Ongoing cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can continue to be received at the location of your choice, so your treatment is kept close to home whenever possible.

Hearing the words "you have cancer" is overwhelming for any patient and family dealing with this complex and difficult disease. Cancer care can be very confusing in that multiple providers are involved from the screening process, to diagnosis, testing, treatment, and survivorship. To make it easier for our patients, CommonSpirit Dorcy Cancer Center St. Mary-Corwin has a nurse navigator program to help patients and their families throughout the cancer care journey.

An oncology nurse navigator (ONN) is a professional registered nurse with cancer-specific clinical knowledge who helps patients, families, and caregivers successfully navigate their way through the process. These professionals are adept at managing intricate treatment protocols that involve multiple specialists and departments. An oncology nurse navigator also provides education and resources to facilitate informed decision-making and timely access to quality health and psychosocial care throughout all phases of the cancer continuum.

Research has shown that when nurse navigators become involved early enough after a person has received a cancer diagnosis, they can help steer patients and their families to appropriate care and timely treatment that could dramatically improve patients' chances of living with cancer as a manageable disease.

At CommonSpirit Dorcy Cancer Center St. Mary-Corwin, we provide Nurse Navigation services for the following types of cancer:

• Breast Cancer
• Lung Nodule and Thoracic Cancer

Our integrated network of CommonSpirit Cancer Centers provides genetic counseling, cancer risk assessment, and genetic testing services for individuals and families with concerns about inherited cancer predispositions. Services are provided by a team of certified genetic counselors. Often, these genetic counseling appointments can be provided virtually, allowing you to receive this service regardless of which community you live in.

Cancer genetic counselors specialize in performing cancer risk assessment, educating individuals about inherited cancer risks, identifying possible hereditary predisposition to cancer or other conditions, choosing the appropriate type of test to order, and interpreting results so that you and your doctor can make informed decisions regarding your medical care.

Our genetic counselors are experts at family history assessment.  Personalized risk estimates are provided to each patient seen in our service, based on their personal medical and family history.  These estimates are used to:

• Determine the chance for an inherited predisposition to cancer. If this risk is high, genetic testing may be recommended. Certain inherited genetic changes may alter how a cancer is treated or greatly increase risk for a new cancer to develop.
• Determine the chance to develop cancer in the near future and over a lifetime. The chance for cancer determines risk management options. Management may include different or earlier screenings, surgeries, or medications.

Our genetic counselors discuss risks and management options with each patient. A written summary of the discussion is sent to the patient and his/her referring provider for long-term follow-up. The patient and provider can then develop an individualized risk-management plan. Detailed information about family history and genetic risks empowers patients to treat their cancer in a more personalized way, reduce their cancer risks, and/or detect cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages.  Looking to the past, we can change the future.

A Tumor Board is a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals who meet weekly to discuss the diagnosis, treatment, and management of our cancer patients. The primary goal of a tumor board is to provide a comprehensive and collaborative approach to cancer care, ensuring that patients receive the best possible treatment based on the latest evidence and the collective expertise of specialists from various fields.

The tumor board typically consists of oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, surgeons, nurses, and other specialists who have expertise in cancer care. The team collaborates to evaluate each patient's case, review medical imaging, pathology reports, and other diagnostic information, and develop a personalized treatment plan. This can include recommendations for surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of treatments.

One of the key functions of a tumor board is to ensure that all aspects of a patient's condition are thoroughly considered. This includes the type of cancer, its stage, the patient's overall health, and any other underlying conditions that may impact treatment decisions. By bringing together professionals from different specialties, the tumor board can offer a more holistic view of each patient’s needs and provide a well-rounded treatment approach.

In addition to improving patient care, tumor boards also serve an important educational function by helping healthcare providers stay updated on the latest research and clinical advances in oncology.

A multidisciplinary clinic allows our patients to see all of their cancer care providers on the same day, offering a streamlined and efficient approach to cancer care. Our model aims to provide comprehensive, coordinated care by bringing together a team of specialists to evaluate and manage each patient's condition in a single visit. Typically, the team consists of a surgeon, a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, a genetic counselor, and a nurse navigator.

The benefit of this approach is that patients receive expert opinions from each provider in one session, reducing the need for multiple appointments and enabling quicker decision-making regarding treatment plans. During the clinic visit, the patient’s medical history, imaging results, biopsy reports, and any other relevant diagnostic information are reviewed collectively. The specialists then collaborate to develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses the patient’s specific diagnosis, cancer stage, and overall health.

This integrated care model not only provides convenience for patients who would otherwise have to schedule separate appointments with each specialist, it also promotes a more coordinated and cohesive treatment plan. By having all providers in one place at the same time, communication is streamlined and the patient’s care plan is quickly developed, reducing delays and enhancing the efficiency of treatment initiation.

CommonSpirit Cancer Centers actively participate in research programs and clinical trials to discover and advance new treatment options for the future. This includes National Cancer Institute Oncology Research Program (NCORP) trials, as well as industry trials for emerging cancer treatments and new drugs. Our patients appreciate the opportunity to participate in these programs that offer new hope.

The Integrative Survivorship Program aims to optimize overall wellbeing by enhancing mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health through programs and services. The programs offered vary monthly and are FREE to patients, survivors, caregivers, and community members.

Some topics include but are not limited to:

• Guided Meditation
• Self-care
• Zumba Gold
• Tai Chi
• Nutrition and Wellness
• Grief
• Mental health and coping skills

Benefits of Integrative Therapy and Cancer Care:

• Feel less lonely and isolated
• Increase overall wellbeing
• Improve decision-making and communication
• Increase positive feelings, including happiness, connection to others, equanimity, calmness, peace, and compassion
• Reduce symptoms and side effects related to a cancer diagnosis and/or treatment

Find a support group

• All Cancer Support Group
• Breast Cancer Support Group
• GYN Cancer Support Group

The High-Risk Cancer Prevention & Surveillance Clinic is dedicated to empowering you and your providers in the proactive fight against cancer. This consultation service is available for individuals who have a significant family history of hereditary cancers, such as breast, ovarian, gastric, and more.

Our team of experts, including nurse practitioners and genetics-trained providers, offers personalized consultations, evidence-based recommendations, and tailored care plans to help you effectively manage your risk and make informed decisions about screening, prevention, and potential genetic testing.

Services available through the High-Risk Clinic include:

• Screening through the CancerIQ questionnaire 
• Genetic Testing
• Genetic Counseling 
• Nurse practitioner consultations
• Cancer risk management recommendations
• Personalized care plans with optimal screening tests and timelines
• Coordination of recommendations with referring providers
• Collaboration with and referral to cancer specialist

Consultations are available both in-person or via telehealth, so no matter where you live, you can access this service.