Georgia Center for Total Cancer Care at Cowles Clinic

Cowles Clinic Oncology Specialists and Health Professionals:

Atlanta Oncology Associates, P.C.

Georgia Cancer Specialists, P.C.

Southeastern Radiotherapy Specialists, P.C.

The diagnosis of cancer can be life altering. Patients are concerned about accessing quality treatment and how treatment will affect their daily life and their families. The Georgia Center for Total Cancer Care at Cowles Clinic is meeting these needs as a regional center providing the most advanced care.

Our centrally located center means that long, stressful commutes to distant treatment facilities are no longer necessary for patients in the Lake Oconee region. Three of the most experienced oncology groups in the southeast, Atlanta Oncology Associates, Georgia Cancer Specialists, and Southeast Radiotherapy Specialists, together with Cowles Clinic's physicians create a team approach to treatment. The 11,000 square foot, dedicated center delivers medical oncology, hematology, radiation oncology, genetic counseling and a full range of patient wellness services.

Because cancer therapy is continually evolving, our physicians stay abreast of the latest research to provide the best tools to assist patients in their fight against this disease. All types of cancers are treated at our center including breast, prostate, colorectal, reproductive, skin, lung and bladder using state-of-the-art technology and therapies. The Cowles Clinic campus offers a full complement of health care services for cancer patients needs including on-site Laboratory Services, physical therapy, the Saint Joseph's Imaging Center at Cowles Clinic and comprehensive multi-specialty physician consultation. For community education and support groups, the cancer center house the 50 seat Cowles Auditorium.

Prostate Cancer Implants Now Performed at Cowles Clinic

In an effort to provide the best treatments with greater patient access, urologist, Dr. Bob Cowles is now performing Permanent Prostate Seed Implants and High Dose Rate (HDR) prostate implants on site at Georgia Center for Total Cancer Care at Cowles Clinic. These therapies are two of the most effective radiation treatments used in the U.S. for prostate cancer.

Permanent Prostate Seed Implants and High Dose Rate (HDR) procedures were formerly only available in the hospital setting on an outpatient basis. Recently, Dr. Cowles was joined by Dr. David Lowther, a radiation oncologist and founder of Southeastern Radiotherapy Specialists. Dr. Lowther trained at the first dedicated HDR center in the United States in the San Francisco Bay area where he remained in practice for 3 years, twice earning honors as Top Doctor of Silicon Valley. Dr. Lowther brings to Cowles Clinic his experience in performing over 400 HDR implants and delivering over 700 HDR treatments. By combining their expertise in prostate cancer treatment, Dr. Cowles, Dr. Lowther and the oncology team have brought these therapies to the Cowles Clinic campus. The highest quality of care is now delivered in a comfortable, safe environment that is close to home. No hospital admission is required resulting in more cost effective medical treatment with less stress on patients and their caregivers.

Victoria L. Afshani, M.D.

Medical School: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Residency: Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
Fellowship: Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
Board Certification: Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine
Special Interest: Management of breast and gastrointestinal cancers, cancer genetics, and management of hematologic disorders
Membership: Dr. Afshani is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
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Richard O. Loyd, D.O.

Medical School: Southeastern University of the Health Sciences, North Miami Beach, FL
Residency: Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA
Fellowship: Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA
Board Certification: Oncology and Internal Medicine
Special Interest: Clinical research in lung and breast cancer treatments Membership: Dr. Loyd is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and currently serves on the GCS Board of Directors. He was recently elected as President of the Georgia Osteopathic Medical Association (GOMA), and collaborates with five other physicians in Gwinnett County who make up the Gwinnett Brain Tumor Program (GBTP).
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Dale L. McCord, M.D.

Undergraduate: Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University
Medical School: Medical College of Georgia
Residency: University of Florida
Board Certification: American College of Radiology
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Erich Randolph, M.D.

Medical School: Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Internship: Emory University Affiliated Hospitals: Internal Medicine
Residency/Fellowship: Radiotherapy, M.D. Anderson Hospital
Board Certification: Radiation Oncology
Special Interest: Radiation Oncology, Prostate, Breast, Colorectal
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Karen Baker, R.N.

Undergraduate: B.S. Nursing - D'Youville College, Buffalo, New York
Graduate: M.S. Nursing - Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
Memberships: Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society, Tennessee Nurses Association and American Nurses Credentialing Center
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Christine Long, FNP-C

Associates of Science in Nursing: University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA
Bachelors of Science in Nursing: University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA
Master of Nursing: Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA
Certification: Family Nurse Practitioner
Memberships: Christine is a member of the American Nurses Association, the Georgia Nurses Association, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the American College of Nurse Practitioners, the National Oncology Nursing Society, the Athens Oncology Nursing Society chapter, Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society for Nursing, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She also serves as President of the United Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of Northeast Georgia Chapter.