Radiation, oncology center opens Lakewood Ranch office

When it comes to discussing treatments and cures for cancer, medical experts say it is important to approach the conversation with empathy, care and the ability to listen.

Dr. Dwight Fitch added that his way of comforting patients often includes a hug.

“Showing them that you actually care means a lot,” said Fitch, a radiation oncologist at Advocate Radiation Oncology of Lakewood Ranch. “It means more than the degrees on your wall. It means more than how many papers and books you've written.” 

Fitch is joined is joined by My-Lien Truong, another radiation oncologist, at the Lakewood Ranch office at 8946 77th Terrace E. The new office is Advocate’s 16th cancer treatment location overall and the second in Manatee County to go with the office at 5325 State Road 64 in Bradenton.

Fitch said 95% of Advocate Radiation's patients already have been diagnosed with cancer when they make an appointment. He said one of the first decisions a patient has to make when given a cancer diagnosis is whether radiation can cure the cancer, reduce their symptoms, help the patient live longer, or will improve the patient's quality of life.

Then the right path and timeline can be decided. 

Photo by Madison Bierl

Lakewood Ranch’s Jerry Wach and Jim Hess, who happen to be neighbors, started radiation for prostate cancer at the same time. 

When they were diagnosed, they thought they would have to travel to Bradenton every time they needed treatment but they were glad to find an office so close and convenient. They will both wrap up radiation on May 13 and plan to celebrate together. 

Hess said when he first started going for radiation, it seemed like it would be a long process, going in every week day for five weeks. Now he said it seems as if he only blinked and it’s nearly over. Because the cancer was small and the survival rate was high, Hess wasn’t particularly nervous. But if he was, he knew Dr. Fitch would calm him down. 

“Dr. Fitch was a natural at making me feel at ease, explaining what the diagnosis was and what my choices were in terms of therapies,” Hess said.

It was the first time Hess had any sort of cancer, but he has seen a lot of doctors over the years. He said Fitch is the best he’s ever had.

Courtesy image

For Wach, the experience was a bit different because he has had both leukemia and lymphoma in the past. He said the radiation experience was painless and he felt the same sort of ease with the staff as Hess. 

From his first visit, Wach connected with the employees when they asked if he preferred his full first name, Jerome, or nickname, Jerry. 

“I said, ‘Well, I prefer Jerry. If I'm called Jerome, I'm in trouble,’” Wach said. “They laughed and thought it was funny. I couldn't ask for any better people there.” 

For both Fitch and Truong, it took a while for them to discover and pursue radiation oncology. They both started their studies in engineering. Truong’s family members had several cases of cancer, including lymphoma and pancreatic cancer. She was drawn to it and feels as though she picked the right career path.

“It combined my love for engineering, physics and medicine all in one,” Truong said. “No one told us this was even a specialty. You had to seek it.”

Fitch said he was hooked on radiation oncology when he saw the amount of difference that can be made in a 20- to 30-minute appointment. Anything with cancer can weigh heavy on the patients, but the amount of appreciation he received motivated him to pursue the profession. He has been serving patients in the region since 2008.

“You have down moments, everybody does, but it puts things in perspective very quickly on what's important and what's not,” Fitch said. 

“This is the one field where I say that I'm okay leaving my kids at home and going full time,” Truong said. “That's big and it’s because it's worthwhile.” 

Fitch said it is the company's responsibility to offer high quality care and he is glad he can do it in Lakewood Ranch, so the residents don’t have to fight interstate traffic daily in order to receive treatment.

“Cancer treatment is stressful to begin with and adding in that transport daily while sick is not good," Fitch said. “In reality, we have the same training (as larger centers), we have the same equipment, and it's always more convenient for patients to receive daily radiation treatment somewhere close to home,” Fitch said.