Nestled in the Russell Medical campus in Alexander City, Alabama, the UAB Medicine – Russell Medical Cancer Center offers advanced technology, rehabilitative care, and emotional support to patients through a multi-disciplinary team.
The cancer center provides treatment for more than 100 forms of cancer and offers targeted chemotherapy in conjunction with intensity modulated radiation therapy. Next month, the center will add stereotactic body radiotherapy for lung cancer. In 2012, the center partnered with UAB and was renamed the UAB Medicine – Russell Medical Cancer Center.
Several members of the division–including Director of the Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery Helen Krontiras, M.D., Assistant Professor Lily Gutnik, M.D., Assistant Professor Rachael Lancaster, M.D, FACS, Associate Professor and Chief of the Section of Breast Surgery Catherine Parker, M.D.– rotate to see patients each Friday at Russell Medical Center.
The team is working to increase state of the art options for patients with breast cancer and breast problems. Recent additions to the breast program include 3-D mammography, image guided biopsies and breast MRI.
Krontiras says Alexander City– situated in Tallapoosa County– is an ideal arena to bring their breast cancer expertise. With a population of just 13,912, the rural community could potentially be overlooked for specialized, expert cancer care. However, Krontiras said towns like Alexander City and other rural locations across Alabama are exactly where breast cancer care experts need to be.
“Our division is highly interested in mitigating health disparities across the state of Alabama, and we look forward to offering specialized cancer care in Alexander City through the UAB Medicine-Russell Medical Cancer Center,” says Krontiras. “No matter their location, Alabama residents deserve access to highly-specialized imaging and treatment machines, as well as expert physicians.”
Krontiras, a breast surgical oncologist, is the director of clinical affairs in the O’Neal Cancer Service Line at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.
Gutnik supports the UAB General Surgery Residency Program as assistant program director for global surgery. Additionally, she serves the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB as an associate scientist in the Cancer Control and Population Science Program as well as associate scientist in the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center. In 2022, she was appointed to the Sparkman Center for Global Health Scholars Program.
In addition to the weekly visits to Russell Medical Center, the division is generating other key educational opportunities for providers in Alexander City. On Thursday, April 14, Gutnik will be the keynote panelist in a continuing medical education eligible event for rural primary care physicians about breast cancer screening and risk assessment.