cancer Archives - Pikeville Medical Center https://www.pmcky.org/tag/cancer/ Founded on Faith. Focused on You. Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:33:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.pmcky.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/cropped-webicon-32x32.jpg cancer Archives - Pikeville Medical Center https://www.pmcky.org/tag/cancer/ 32 32 Cancer Center https://www.pmcky.org/cancer/ Wed, 28 Feb 2018 18:37:06 +0000 https://www.pikevillehospital.org/demosite/?page_id=19661 The Leonard Lawson Cancer Center (LLCC) is one of a select few cancer centers in Kentucky that is an accredited full-service facility providing state-of-the-art cancer treatment and follow-up care that have received commendation by the COC. Staffed by expert oncologists, nurses, pharmacists, patient navigators and many other highly-trained healthcare professionals, LLCC provides quality care close to home. LLCC is a free-standing facility with convenient parking to better serve patients. We were recently reaffirmed as offering the best in cancer care by being one of only a few select cancer centers in Kentucky or the nation receiving accreditation from the Commission on Cancer with commendations.

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Advanced Cancer Care Close to Home

Our Services

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, and getting answers and treatment quickly is crucial. At Pikeville Medical Center, our cancer specialists work together to create the best treatment plan for you as soon as possible. 

Our care is always focused on you. You deserve the most advanced cancer treatment available, close to home and delivered with compassion every step of the way.  

Directions 

Lawson Cancer Center
PMC Clinic Building, 10th Floor
911 S. Bypass Road
Pikeville, KY  41501

Medical Oncology/Hematology and Surgical Oncology

Click here for a map

Radiation Oncology
May Tower, 1st Floor
911 Bypass Road, Building A, Pikeville, KY  41501

Special parking is available for PMC Cancer Patients on the 1st and 10th Floors of the parking garage.

Click here for a map

The Lawson Cancer Center is among a select group of cancer centers approved to offer some of the newest and most promising treatments through clinical trials. There trials represent the final stage in the rigorous process of developing new cancer therapies and treatments through research studies involving volunteer participants. For patients whose cancer has not responded well to standard treatments and who meet specific eligibility criteria, clinical trials may provide access to innovative medications and therapies that are not yet available to the general public. 

Radiation therapy uses highly precise and carefully controlled techniques to target and eliminate cancer cells. Our radiation oncologists specialize in treating a wide range of cancers including those of the breast, brain, spine, lung, head and neck, as well as cancers of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems; such as prostate, gynecologic, abdominal and bone cancers.

Staffed by expert oncologists, nurses, pharmacists, patient navigators and many other highly trained healthcare professionals, The Lawson Cancer Center provides quality care close to home. 

  • Hematology 
  • On-Site Biopsies 
  • Surgical Services 
  • Financial Counseling/Co-Pay Assistance 
  • Radiation Therapy 
  • Genetic Counseling 
  • Palliative Care 
  • Patient Navigation 
  • Dietician 
  • Mental Health Services 
  • Laboratory services 

OTHER ONCOLOGY SERVICES 

  • Hematology & Medical Oncology 
  • Hematological Diseases 
  • Benign Blood Disorders 
  • Malignant Blood Disorders 
  • Bleeding Disorders 
  • Solid Tumors 
  • Diagnosis, Staging & Management of all Malignancies 
  • Hormonal Cancer Therapy 
  • Chemotherapy 
  • Management of Malignant & Non-Malignant Cancers 
  • Hypofractionation 
  • HDR Brachytherapy 
  • Skin eBx Treatment 
  • Intensity Modulated Radiation 
  • 3D Conformal Treatment 
  • Electron Therapy 
  • Image Guided Radiation 
  • Stereotactic Radiosurgery 
  • Radiopharmaceuticals 
  • CT Stimulation 

Patient Support Services

Cancer Survivorship Support Group

3:30 PM every third Thursday of each month

 10th Floor Clinic Building

Monitoring for early detection | Management of Treatment | Promotion of a Healthy Lifestyle

For more information, contact Darlene Ellis, APRN @ 606-430-8513.

The Art of Healing – Patients & Family Welcome!

10am-12pm 2nd Tuesday of every month 

Community Outreach Office – 10th floor of the Clinic Building

Artistic activities designed to provide emotional support to people who are coping with a cancer diagnosis. Supplies will be provided.

Art therapy is the use of art to promote healing. It addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs that cancer patients face when they get a cancer diagnosis. Art gives them an outlet to relax, be creative, and experience a few minutes of calming and peace. It improves their total health, quality of life, physical and psychological health.

Art therapy has been known to have healing effects for cancer patients. Creative activities provide a relaxing escape amidst a world of treatment, anxiety and fear. It helps them understand the myriad of emotions they are going through in their cancer journey. Art helps patients express these emotions that are normally hard to express in words.

Positive Effects on Cancer Patients:

  • Personal growth
  • Coping with negative emotions
  • Person to person interaction
  • Reduces need for pain medications
  • Increase compliance with medications

 

To learn more or to participate, call Lawson Cancer Center Community Outreach at 606-430-8513

Nutrition Classes

10:30am – 11:00 am Last Wednesday of every month

Lawson Cancer Center Lobby – 10th floor of the PMC Clinic

Look Good. Feel Better.

Pikeville Medical Center offers patients of the Lawson Cancer Center access to free wigs, make-up, scarves and more as needed.

For more information, contact our outreach office @ 606-430-8513.

Tobacco Cessation

No Current Classes. For more information about smoking cessation, call the LCC Outreach office at 606-430-8513.

Improve your heart health and reduce your risk for cancer. Pikeville Medical Center offers help to those in the community who have the desire to quit smoking with our Plan to be Tobacco Free program. During this one-time, two-hour class, participants will get help coping with their nicotine addiction and learn about over the counter nicotine replacement products and how to use them. Enrollees are also supplied with the necessary tools to ease the transition from tobacco use. They are educated about prescription medication options that can be used to help them quit.

Learn about cancer screenings available at Pikeville Medical Cancer Center

Behind heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. While Pikeville Medical Center’s Lawson Cancer Center has advanced capabilities to fight the disease, our expert physicians will tell you that the best way to wage battle is to detect cancer in its earliest stages.

Early detection starts when you maintain a regular schedule of routine screenings.

Many routine cancer screenings at Pikeville Medical Center are available to be scheduled online or facilitated through a call. Click on the screening tabs below for information and for links to get scheduled today.

Most insurance plans fully or partially pay for preventive screenings.

Check with your insurance provider to determine coverage under your plan for the screenings outlined in each of the sections below.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women with one in eight women being diagnosed with it during their lifetimes. Pikeville Medical Center has the advanced capability to diagnose it in its earliest stages, when its most effectively treated.

Pikeville Medical Center recommends the following breast cancer screening protocols for women:

Breast Self-Exams
Adult women of all ages are encouraged to perform breast self-exams at least once a month.

Clinical Breast Exams
Your Ob/Gyn provider will conduct a physical exam of your breast during your annual women’s health screening as a check for lumps or other changes.

Mammograms
Regular mammograms are the best test doctors have to find breast cancer early. Women ages 40 to 44 should have the option to start receiving annual mammograms. Women ages 45-54 should get mammograms every year. Women aged 55 and older may switch to receiving a mammogram every other year, or they may continue yearly screening.

Pikeville Medical Center provides women access to leading-edge 3-D mammography technology with the ability to detect up to 65 percent more invasive breast cancers than that of standard mammography equipment.

Ultrasounds
Pikeville Medical Center offers a testing option as a supplement to a routine mammogram for women with dense breast tissue through our Automated Breast Ultrasound System 2.0, by GE. Discuss this option with your doctor.

Pap Screenings

Pap smears look for precancerous cells of the cervix that may progress to cervical cancer if not treated appropriately. Women should begin getting pap smears at age 21 every three years. Beginning at age 30, pap smears are recommended every three years or every five years if also screened for HPV. Screenings are typically continued until age 65, but based on your medical history you may require additional screening.

HPV Screenings

HPV screenings look for high risk types of HPV that can lead to pre-cancerous changes and cancers of the cervix and vulva. HPV screenings are often done together with a Pap smear although they can be done as a stand-alone test. Pikeville Medical Center also offers vaccination against HPV with the Gardasil vaccine that can help prevent cervical cancer and genital warts.

According the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women (excluding skin cancer) as well as the leading cause of cancer death. Early detection and the ability to begin treatment as soon as possible is therefore very important.

Low-Dose CT Scans

The screening test recommended for lung cancer is low-dose computed tomography, more commonly known as a low-dose CT scan. Low-dose CT scans are advised for men and women who:

  • Have a 20 pack-year* or more smoking history, and
  • Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years, and
  • Are between the ages of 50 and 80


*A pack-year is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. As an example, a 20 pack-year history can therefore equal a person smoking one pack a day for 20 years, or a person smoking two packs a day for 10 years.

Excluding some types of skin cancer, colon/colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. This type of cancer can, however, be effectively treated when detected early. There are a variety of screening options, and it is recommended that all men and women ages 50 to 75 be routinely tested. Some sources indicate for screenings to begin as early as age 45.

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is considered the most sensitive colon cancer screening test, allowing the physician to view the entire colon and rectum during the procedure. This screening further allows the physician to remove any abnormal tissue or polyps during the course of the exam. A colonoscopy is recommended every 10 years for those in the age range identified above.

Other Screening Options:

  • Stool Tests
  • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
  • CT Colonography

Pikeville Medical Center recommends that you talk to your primary care provider about the pros and cons of each test, which test is best for you and the frequency of your testing schedule.

Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the U.S. Approximately one man in eight will be diagnosed with it in his lifetime.

PSA Test

The most effective test used to screen for prostate cancer is a prostate specific antigen or PSA test. PSA is a substance produced by the prostate. A PSA test measures the level of PSA in in a man’s blood with high PSA levels being a possible indicator that a prostate issue is present.

Before receiving a PSA test, men should talk to their Primary Care Providers about the benefits and risks of a prostate cancer screening using this schedule as a guideline:

  • Age 50 for men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and who are expected to live at least 10 more years.
  • Age 45 for men at high risk of developing prostate cancer. This includes African American and men who have a father or brother (first-degree relative) who were diagnosed with prostate cancer when younger than 65.
  • Age 40 for men at even higher risk, which include those with more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at an early age.

Genetic tests look for changes in DNA that are associated with a high risk of inherited cancer. Testing helps inform individuals of cancer risk, including breast, ovarian, uterine and melanoma. Genetic counseling is performed before testing to develop a plan of action, which may include surgery, preventative therapies and frequent screenings.

Candidates May Have:

  • Personal or family history of cancer
  • Family history of cancer diagnosed at a young age
  • Multiple family members with the same type of cancer
  • Family member with more than one cancer diagnosis
  • Family member with a rare type of cancer
  • Family history of a genetic alteration associated with a hereditary cancer syndrome

Candidates May Have:

  • Personal or family history of cancer
  • Family history of cancer diagnosed at a young age
  • Multiple family members with the same type of cancer
  • Family member with more than one cancer diagnosis
  • Family member with a rare type of cancer
  • Family history of a genetic alteration associated with a hereditary cancer syndrome
Call 606-430-8513 to request a screening

The future of cancer care isn’t tomorrow. At Pikeville Medical Center’s Lawson Cancer Center, we have the expertise and leading-edge technology to fight it today. With capabilities to provide full-service cancer treatment and follow-up care, the Lawson Cancer Center is one of a select few cancer centers in Kentucky to hold accreditation from the Commission on Cancer with commendations. 

Staffed by expert oncologists, surgical specialists, nurses, pharmacists, patient navigators and many other highly trained healthcare professionals, the Lawson Cancer Center makes it convenient for patients across Eastern Kentucky to receive advanced cancer care close to home.  

Schedule an Appointment at:

606-430-2212

CALL 606-430-2212
MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!
 

The Lawson Cancer Center at Pikeville Medical Center is using innovative technology to treat patients whose treatment plans call for radiation therapy. PMC has installed two state-of-the-art TrueBeam Linear Accelerators from Varian Medical Systems, which allows radiation oncologists at the Lawson Cancer Center to deliver radiation treatments more accurately than ever before.

The TrueBeam Linear Accelerator allows PMC’s radiation oncologists to target and treat very precise areas of the body. During a treatment, the radiation beam is continually shaped and reshaped according to the size, shape and position of the tumor, resulting in the protection of healthy, surrounding tissue.

PMC Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Ruth Lavigne, was interviewed by WSAZ’s Susan Nicholas and discussed skin cancer prevention tips, skin cancer types and treatments, as well as the addition of a second, new linear accelerator.

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