Newswise — The Surgical Oncology Department of the University of New Mexico Cancer Center is growing even larger. Ashwani Rajput, MD, Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery at the UNM School of Medicine, has recently recruited two new hires for the department. Bridget Fahy, MD, who specializes in colorectal and complex pelvic cancer, and Anna Voltura, MD, who specializes in breast cancer, are both excited about the opportunity to work in an NCI designated cancer center.
New Mexico’s unique population is among the reasons these talented surgical oncologists chose the UNM Cancer Center. Dr. Fahy stated, “it’s a population that I felt really needed me.” The New Mexico population has a high percentage of Native American and Hispanic people and both are minorities that experience higher rates of certain cancers. Doctors at the UNM Cancer Center integrate innovative cancer treatment and clinical research because they are able to see the real world challenges treatments pose and use that insight to more effectively guide the research conducted.
This combination of world renowned research and ground-breaking treatments are two more draws of the UNM Cancer Center. “The chance to deliver the evolving treatment options to my patients excites me,” Dr. Voltura said. Dr. Voltura specializes in a nipple sparring mastectomy which provides the greatest reconstructive results for patients, a valuable skill she will bring with her to New Mexico. Dr. Fahy is also excited about the new surgical treatment options she is bringing to the UNM Cancer Center.
Dr. Voltura, a graduate of UNM Medical School and a New Mexico native, is excited for her homecoming. “I am overjoyed at the opportunity to return home and especially to the UNM Cancer Center where we have the ability to help people throughout the state who may need breast cancer care,” she said. Dr. Voltura will be the only breast surgery fellow in the state and is bringing with her 16 years of surgical experience, five years of surgical oncology experience, and an eagerness to deliver quality cancer care to New Mexicans.
Dr. Fahy is also enthusiastic about her opportunity to serve the New Mexico population and its unique needs. Dr. Fahy, who completed her fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, focuses not only on the cancer, but also on who her patients are on a personal level. “I’m really concerned about more than just curing cancer, it’s about restoring their lives and trying to give that life back to them,” she said. She is one of a very few surgeons with board certification in palliative medicine, which centers on providing relief and preventing suffering for patients.
Dr. Fahy and Dr. Voltura’s expertise will help the multidisciplinary team within the UNM Cancer Center Surgical Oncology Department give patients the best care and chance at survival. “It’s wonderful to have a team of people, colleagues that you can trust and work with,” Dr. Rajput said.
About the UNM Cancer CenterThe UNM Cancer Center is the Official Cancer Center of New Mexico and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center in the state. One of just 68 premier NCI-Designated Cancer Centers nationwide, the UNM Cancer Center is recognized for its scientific excellence, contributions to cancer research, the delivery of high quality, state of the art cancer diagnosis and treatment to all New Mexicans, and its community outreach programs statewide. Annual federal and private funding of over $72 million supports the UNM Cancer Center’s research programs. The UNM Cancer Center treats more than 60 percent of the adults and virtually all of the children in New Mexico affected by cancer, from every county in the state. It is home to New Mexico’s largest team of board-certified oncology physicians and research scientists, representing every cancer specialty and hailing from prestigious institutions such as M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, and the Mayo Clinic. Through its partnership with Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces, the UNM Cancer Center brings world-class cancer care to the southern part of the state; its collaborative clinical programs in Santa Fe and Farmington serve northern New Mexico and it is developing new collaborative programs in Alamogordo and in Roswell/Carlsbad. The UNM Cancer Center also supports several community outreach programs to make cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment available to every New Mexican. Learn more at www.cancer.unm.edu.
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