Arizona Blood and Cancer Specialists, OneOncology, TMC HealthCare Open New Imaging Centers

Arizona Blood and Cancer Specialists, OneOncology and TMC HealthCare, through a joint venture, have opened two new, free-standing centers focused on radiation oncology and advanced diagnostic imaging.

The newest facility is located at 3700 E. Fort Lowell Road, Suite 130, Tucson, AZ 85716. Services there will include sophisticated, integrated technologies for planning and delivering high-precision image-guided radiosurgery using Varian’s Edge™ radiosurgery system. Adding radiation oncology services will open the door for treatment options for patients who may not have had other options and will give their team of oncologists new tools for treating more types of cancer including those that are typically hard to treat.

The site will also utilize GE’s Discovery IQ system for molecular imaging. This superior technology will provide physicians with high-quality images and accurate quantitative information, giving them the ability to find and treat cancer sooner.

The second location in Green Valley, which opened in the fall of 2020, is located at 121 W. Esperanza Blvd., Suite 181. In addition to medical oncology, hematology and palliative care that ABCS provides, the joint venture also expanded treatment options along the continuum of care for patients by adding radiation oncology services.

“Providing this service in Green Valley allows our patients to receive their cancer care close to their home, and without making multiple trips to Tucson to receive their radiation treatments,” said Dr. Bruce W. Porterfield, a medical oncologist/hematologist in Green Valley.

Patients receiving radiation treatment or PET/CT diagnostic imaging at the new clinics experience seamless care between their medical, surgical and radiation oncologists, and the centers’ radiation oncology treatment teams and PET/CT diagnostic imaging specialists.

“TMC HealthCare has a long history of caring for the people of Southern Arizona,” said Mimi Coomler, COO of TMC HealthCare. “As a leading provider of cancer care services, we have worked with the physicians at ABCS for many years. Our joint venture with Arizona Blood and Cancer Specialists will extend and expand the oncology services our system provides. We are grateful for this partnership, and for what it will bring to our patients.”

“TMC’s history of providing exceptional healthcare aligns well with our experience, commitment, and vision of how we can positively impact patients’ lives. Our practice is proud to partner with such a well-established, and well-respected health care provider in Southern Arizona,” said Dr. Robert J. Brooks, ABCS’ director of physician services.

“Together with TMC Healthcare, we now offer the most advanced technologies currently available in diagnostic imaging, allowing us to expedite the process of developing a customized treatment plan for our patients,” said Dr. Andrew Orton, ABCS’ director of radiation oncology.

For radiation oncology services, Dr. Orton explained: “We have invested heavily in acquiring the latest, top-of-the-line radiation equipment at both the Tucson and Green Valley clinics. Our radiosurgery platform, the Varian Edge®, delivers the highest dose rate in the industry, performs accuracy checks every 10ms to track a patient’s tumor in real time, and is manufactured to extremely precise tolerances. 

Together with a 6-degree of freedom robotic alignment couch and 4-D planning CT acquisition, this technology allows for extremely eloquent radiation delivery, including single treatment tumor ablation, treatment of disease encroaching on the spinal cord or brain, and even radiation re-treatments. Our practice is one of only a handful in the United States that offers this highly innovative technology, so we are extremely proud to be able to provide it for our cancer patients.”

ABCS will also offer radiopharmaceutical treatments at the Fort Lowell location including Xofigo® (223Ra) for prostate cancer that has traveled to the bones and Lutathera® (177Lu dotatate) for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors.

Both ABCS and TMC understand the importance of not only treating their patients’ physical needs so in addition to the diagnostic and radiation oncology services offered they will continue to collaborate on cancer survivorship and wellness programs.