
Expertise at every stage
When cancer is a threat or a reality, your care should be proactive and continual.
At NTORS, we’re concerned before you are and invested for the long haul.
Understanding cancer at a surgical level means understanding the body is an integrated system. That’s why we give every stage of your journey our full attention and expertise, whether you’re seeking to:
Prevent
Detect
Treat
Restore
Maintain
health
Services
As your lifelong home base for cancer care, we specialize in:
Risk Assessment & Genetic Screening
At your initial visit, we will review your family history, personal history, and previous biopsies or surgeries to determine your risk of developing cancer.
If you have history that qualifies you for genetic testing, we will recommend full cancer gene analysis to see if you carry a cancer gene.
If you do carry a gene, your family members will be offered testing.
Genetic disorders that lead to cancer require consideration of early screening, detection, or preventative surgical intervention.
Preventative Screening
- Breast cancer screening
- Melanoma and other skin cancer screening
- Colon cancer screening
- Thyroid cancer screening
Cancer Detection & Diagnosis
Image-Guided Biopsy:
- Ultrasound-guided biopsy of breast masses found on screening and diagnostic mammography and ultrasounds
- Stereotactic biopsies on early calcifications or small masses only detected on mammography
Fine Needle Biopsy of:
- Thyroid masses
- Lymph nodes
- Soft tissue masses
- Breast cysts or benign masses
This is offered in our office routinely.
Cancer Treatment & Therapy
Cancer treatment is very specialized. In many cases, surgery is not the first treatment a cancer needs. Many tumor types require up-front chemotherapy before surgical removal.
We organize your specific treatment needs, and if chemotherapy is required, we will surgically insert a mediport (drug therapy catheter).
We will build a specialty team around your specific cancer treatment needs. This could include:
- A medical oncologist for chemotherapy
- A radiation oncologist for specialized radiation treatments
Oncologic Surgery
Dr. Cuenca and colleagues specialize in the following procedures on benign and malignant diseases of the breast, skin, and thyroid:
- Cosmetically sound removal of breast tumors
- Breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer, allowing the patient to keep her breast and survive her cancer
- Melanoma surgery with sentinel node biopsy
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy. This is the standard of care for both breast cancer and melanoma.
- Non-Melanoma skin cancer surgery
- Early detection of metastasis to lymph nodes, allowing proper staging and correct therapy to be initiated
- Diagnosis and surgery for benign and malignant diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands
- Oncoplastic techniques in breast surgery, which allow optimal preservation of the cosmetic shape of the breast.
Reconstructive & Plastic Surgery
Dr. David Jansen, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Tulane University, has been part of NTORS since its inception.
Dr. Jansen specializes in:
- Breast reconstruction
- Implant replacement
- Facial reconstruction after skin cancer removal
- Cosmetic surgery
Dr. Jansen supports patients from diagnosis to recovery and wellness.
He and Dr. Cuenca see patients as a team, making surgical plans and performing operations together to maximize expertise and minimize operative time.
Follow-Ups for Life
Our cancer patients are our patients for life!
We will continue to see you regularly after treatments are over and provide continued surveillance to detect early recurrence, identify new concerns or symptoms, and ensure proper screening of other cancers or conditions that may develop. We know what the future could bring and will help you be as healthy as possible to live the life you want to lead!
“For me, Dr. Cuenca was – and is – an oasis in the midst of a desert. It’s rare for a small town to have such a distinguished, expert physician. People in other small towns drive hours to find someone this skilled; we are blessed. … I was misdiagnosed and not properly treated elsewhere. Dr. Cuenca quickly identified a serious problem, and immediately sought a solution for me. She actually cares and shows she cares; she’s fighting right beside us for solutions. I would put my life in her hands without reservation. Do your own research and find out just exactly who she is and what her credentials are. I did, and was pleasantly shocked. No other oncologist will ever handle my case.”
Chris
“Dr. Cuenca is a talented and skilled surgeon. She’s not only a master of her craft, but she cares about the overall health of her patients. We are thankful everyday to not only have such a caring and skilled physician, but also an amazing support staff here in Mt. Pleasant.”
Corey
