Dr. Sumalatha Patibandla to join growing cancer care practice

BEAUMONT, Texas, April 27, 2004 - Texas Oncology Beaumont is expanding its physician team to satisfy growing demand for community-based cancer care throughout the Beaumont area. Dr. Sumalatha Patibandla will serve patients at Texas Oncology Beaumont Cancer Center in the Beaumont Professional Building at 3070 College Street, Suite 301.

Texas Oncology Beaumont also will continue to operate Mamie McFaddin Ward Cancer Center at 690 North 14th Street in Beaumont.

Dr. Patibandla, a board certified medical oncologist and hemotologist, joins the practice from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Camden, N.J.

"By recruiting patient-focused physicians like Dr. Patibandla, we continue to enhance the quality of cancer care that we provide residents throughout the greater Beaumont area," said Dr. Robert Rankin Birdwell, medical oncologist with Texas Oncology Beaumont. "Dr. Patibandla shares the dedication of our exceptional medical team and will strengthen our efforts to offer patients the most effective cancer care available today."

Texas Oncology Beaumont Cancer Center will provide medical oncology, chemotherapy and laboratory services.

Dr. Patibandla received her medical degree from Guntur Medical College in Guntur, India. She completed three years of residency at Catholic Medical Center in Queens, N.Y. and completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Dr. Patibandla is board certified in internal medicine. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Medical Association and American Society of Hematology.

"I am proud to be joining Texas Oncology’s medical team in Beaumont where cancer is primary concern of every physician and nurse," said Dr. Patibandla. "Their excellent reputation for treating cancer and blood related diseases, coupled with their caring and compassionate approach toward patients, make this practice a valuable asset to the Beaumont community."

Texas Oncology Beaumont, part of the US Oncology network, is a regional oncology and hematology practice with a dedicated team of oncologists and hematologists. The practice treats approximately 20,000 Beaumont-area patients annually. Texas Oncology Beaumont is part of Texas Oncology P.A., which has 218 practicing physicians and is the largest private oncology practice in the United States.

Based in Houston, Texas, the US Oncology network consists of more than 850 affiliated physicians who provide cancer care to more than 350,000 patients each year.

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