Dr. Daniel Flora is a Medical Oncologist and Director of Oncology Research at St. Elizabeth. He sees patients at the Edgewood Cancer Center and in Ft. Thomas.
Q: What does a medical oncologist do? When should people seek help from one?
A: Medical oncologists are specialists in the treatment of all types of cancer. We also have expertise in cancer screening and prevention. Anyone can seek information from a medical oncologist if they have been diagnosed with cancer or have been determined to be at high risk of developing cancer, such as having a family history or genetic tendency.
Q: What’s something surprising about oncology that people might not know?
A: Not all patients with cancer require chemotherapy or radiation. Some cancers can be monitored closely and may never need treatment!
Q: What is St. Elizabeth doing around oncology that is innovative, unique or leading edge?
A: There has been a revolution in cancer treatment over the last decade. We now better understand how the body’s immune system can be used to help treat or prevent cancer.
St. Elizabeth has developed cancer Disease Management Teams (DMTs) that specialize in different subtypes of cancer, focusing on creating a unique treatment plan for each patient. Patients have access to cutting-edge clinical trials, often not available elsewhere in the country. Currently, we have around 25 cancer research studies ongoing, with plans for a significant expansion in the clinical trials program. We hope to open an additional 15 to 20 studies in 2023. These trials are for all types and all stages of cancer. Many of the studies that we’re opening are using brand-new treatments like immunotherapy which are often more effective and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy.
Most often, a medical oncologist or nurse navigator will recommend a clinical trial to a patient. However, individuals can also reach out directly to the director of our Clinical Research Institute via the St. Elizabeth Cancer Care website.
Clinically, we also have the largest integrative oncology unit in the region. Integrative oncology provides a holistic approach to treating a patient’s symptoms related to their cancer treatments or the cancer itself. Our integrative oncology unit provides opportunities for patients to learn how we use nutrition, exercise, meditation, acupuncture and massage therapy to lessen the symptoms associated with cancer.
Our precision medicine program, led by Dr. Brooke Phillips, is also growing. It focuses on identifying patients who might be at risk for certain types of cancer so we can conduct earlier screening. Genetic testing and genetic counseling are often helpful for patients with a strong family history. It can identify who might have a greater risk so we can be sure we monitor and screen them appropriately.
Perhaps one of the most unique things we have is our nurse navigator program. This is a team of dedicated nurses assigned to individual patients based on their cancer type. From the time of diagnosis through their cancer journey, the nurse navigator is there to hold their hand and walk them through the entire process. Our patients know they always have someone to connect with, and that’s critical to make sure they have the best outcomes.
Q: What is currently on the horizon for oncology? What changes might we expect in the next few years?
A: This is an exciting time for St. Elizabeth Cancer Center. We are committed to finding better treatments through our innovative clinical trials program. With new treatments, including immunotherapy and cellular therapies, such as CAR-T cell and BITE cell on the horizon, we are quickly moving away from more toxic treatments like chemotherapy. Our oncologists are using new technologies, such as liquid biopsies, to help detect and diagnose cancer at the earliest stages, where we have the highest chance for a cure.
Q: Does St. Elizabeth offer screenings for early detection of illness related to oncology?
A: St. Elizabeth is nationally and internationally recognized for cancer screening programs. We are finding cancer at the earliest stages, where we can have the highest chance of a cure. We offer genetic testing to identify individuals that may be at a higher risk of developing cancer and genetic counseling to guide a customized cancer screening plan.
We have three screening programs that are currently very successful in identifying patients at risk for or who have early-stage cancers. Our lung cancer screening program is one of the largest screening protocols in the country. To date, we’ve completed well over 30,000 screenings. We perform a low-dose CT scan for eligible patients, much like an X-ray. With this scan, we’ve had a lot of success finding Stage 1 lung cancers that are very small and highly curable. With this screening, we’re catching far more people before they reach Stage 4, where success rates aren’t great.
We also have the latest in digital tomography for our mammography program. We heavily emphasize that women should get a yearly mammogram. Patients missed quite a few screenings during the pandemic, so we’re doing everything we can to get those patients in quickly to be seen. At St. Elizabeth, we have new mobile mammography vans going around the city to reach as many people as possible for screening.
There are also new efforts underway for colon cancer screening. Right now, the standard of care is a colonoscopy starting at age 45. We are the only hospital in the city participating in a research study comparing the ability of a new stool DNA test to a colonoscopy’s ability to detect early colon cancer. The new test is like ColoGuard®, which we offer our patients, but it’s a next-generation technology that could give patients another less-invasive choice for screening.
Q: From your perspective as a medical oncologist, what should people be aware of to prevent disease or catch it early?
A: Be aware of your family history. If multiple family members have been diagnosed with cancer, seek out a genetic counselor (859-301-GENE).
Many cancers can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle. Smoking, alcohol use, and a sedentary lifestyle are all risk factors for developing cancer. Stay up to date on cancer screening tests with your primary care provider, including mammography and colonoscopy, which can detect cancer early and increase the chances of a cure.
Learn more about Cancer Care at St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
