Pagosa Springs Rotary Club
Speaker: Dr. Virginia Chan, Oncologist, Pagosa Springs Medical Center/Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Dr. Chan, a native Indonesian, grew up on Long Island, N.Y., and came to Pagosa Springs recently by way of Connecticut and Grand Junction. She explained that after nine years of living in the I-70 corridor, she began thinking about moving to a “mountain town,” and while pondering the possibility of life in Crested Butte, had an epiphany in the form of a well-timed recruiting ad from PSMC, and now “loves it here.”
The new Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders provides oncology and hematology services. In addition to Dr. Chan, it is staffed by Dr. William Jordan, and assorted other professionals with relevant specialized skills and knowledge.
Dr. Chan explained the Center delivers the latest in advanced treatment, citing immunotherapy, treatment designed to induce the human immune system to bring its power to bear in attacking diseased cells, with the aid of targeting techniques utilizing computer analysis to tailor the regimen to the individual patient.
Although immunotherapy is a form of treatment that not all can tolerate, because of the potential for inflammation, it can be very effective, she said. Because it is targeted, and thereby differs from what Dr. Chan described as the more generalized “nuclear bomb” of chemotherapy, it does not create the wide array of side effects that can be so difficult for patients.
In response to questions from the audience, Dr. Chan acknowledged the challenge of keeping pace with rapidly advancing diagnostic and treatment technologies, but said that the relevant medical communities as a whole include many specialists who are generous with their time in consulting with fellow-professionals on new means of addressing issues in their fields.
And, she added, the Medical Center has good, cooperative relationships with other regional facilities with advanced capabilities currently beyond local reach that may be needed by some patients.
Patients treated at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders include generally full-time local residents, and second-home owners.