While on a plane from Dodge City to Wichita after opening the first satellite clinic of the Wichita-based Cancer Center of Kansas (CCK), nurse Carma Burns asked CCK co-founder, Dr. Harry Hynes, why he would sacrifice the time and staff to "come out here."

"He said, ‘I want my patients to be at home with their family and friends, taken care of by their family doctor,’" explained Burns. "He felt very strongly about having community-based care."

Last August -- 20 years since that plane trip -- CCK celebrated two decades serving Dodge City, the first of 16 satellite clinic sites that since have sprung up around the state. Dr. Hynes died in 2000, but his legacy is continued by CCK co-founder Dr. Shaker R. Dakhil, who, with three other doctors, serves in the satellite clinics one day per month.

By opening the satellite clinics – also found in Liberal and Pratt in southwest Kansas -- patients were saved miles of travel and extended stays far from home. According to Burns, CCK is the largest oncology organization in Kansas, and serves 80 percent of oncology patients in the state.

Inside the Dodge City clinic, located at 2020 Central at the east end of the Medical Center, patients sit in stuffed chairs in a large room, family members at their side. Sharon Nelson, one of five nurses who work at the clinic, stands in a lab mixing chemotherapy drugs. The office also houses a secretary and a pharmacy technician.

"Our clinics couldn’t function without the dedication of the staff," said Burns, who also works at the Liberal clinic. "The majority – all but one -- are oncology board certified. We’re proud of that. Our patients appreciate that."

Five years ago, Dr. Dakhil received the National Cancer Institute’s first national award for excellence in community clinical oncology research. Because CCK is affiliated with Houston’s MD Anderson, Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic, and the University of Kansas, they are able to offer eligible patients the chance to take part in clinical research.

The research division -- Clinical Community Oncology Program (CCOP) -- allows patients to get the newest drugs or treatments available without having to travel hundreds of miles. Research nurses at the Wichita office enroll patients who are eligible for the program.

"There are strict guidelines," Burns explained. "They need to make sure they are comparing the same kinds of patients."

All drugs and treatments tested through the CCOP have already undergone tests on humans at the affiliate offices, such as the Mayo Clinic. Several years ago, Dr. Dakhil was part of a three-physician team that developed the first implantable central venous catheter, which is now commonly used in cancer treatment.

"Our physicians stay on top of every new treatment that comes along," Burns said. "They attend all the conferences and bring back any new information."

She should know. Both her mother and her aunt were treated at the clinic

The nurses at the Cancer Center are upbeat, turning what could be a somewhat depressing atmosphere for the patient into one that at times borders on jovial. It is an attitude shared by the staff at their partner facility, the Radiation Oncology Center at 116 Ross Blvd. in Dodge City.

Radiation Oncology Center

"We have a fun staff," said Betty Jo Russell, team leader at the radiation center. "They should receive pats on the back. I hear from so many patients that they look forward to coming. At least 99 percent of patients have nice comments."

The radiation center was opened July 1, 1986 by Dr. Babu Prasad, who sold the center to CCK in 1999. The center hosts the only full-time, in-house doctor at the Dodge City offices, Dr. Niranjan Parekh, who was attending an annual radiation oncology convention the day of the Register visit.

"When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, there are three forms of treatment available: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation," explained Russell, one of four Registered Radiation Therapists at the center. The others are Stephanie Veeder, Mary Ellen Bleumer, and Peggy Burghart.

"Depending on the type of cancer and the stage, they can do one, two or all three treatments. Some cancers require chemotherapy and radiation, which shrinks the tumor, and then it’s removed through surgery."

Russell, who jokingly says she "came with the building," has been in radiation oncology since 1969, when she used a slide rule for mathematical calculations.

Today, Russell spends part of her day at one of four computers, one screen displaying an impressive three-dimensional animated image of a patient’s internal organs. The image is accessed through an in-house cat scan, which creates three millimeter slices of the internal organs, then digitizes the images onto the computer.

In the center of the image is a large, red object – lung cancer, Russell says. Through this computer, the cancer can be isolated and a "block" is custom designed. The block is an actual lead alloy brick-like piece about the size of a fist with a hole in the middle shaped like the tumor.

The lead brick is placed into another large machine from which the patient will receive radiation. In this room, with the lights drawn low, one can see several laser beams focused on walls and the ceiling. These are designed to provide pinpoint accuracy during radiation therapy. The cancer patient will have had a small tattoo placed on his skin to help line up the laser.

Cancer treatment has come a long way since the day of the slide rule.

Does Russell see the day when there will be a cure for cancer?

"Some cancers are very aggressive," she said. "Someday we may have a cure, but I’m not so sure it will be in my lifetime."

Still, she adds, "There have been tremendous advancements in radiation therapy over the years. Each year it’s improving. We’re learning more about cancer, and there are so many more drugs and treatments available."

The satellite offices are open from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For information contact:

Dodge City Clinic: (620) 227-1361

Dodge City Radiation Oncology: (620) 227-2482

Liberal Clinic: (620) 629-6727

Pratt Clinic: (620) 450-1192