Many people think of a surgeon as a physician who performs operations and sees patients once or twice before and after surgery. But regarding cancer, surgeon and surgical oncologist Ali Butash, MD, describes her role as a patient educator and advocate who works with other specialists to plan and coordinate her patients’ care throughout their cancer journeys.

Dr. Butash’s surgical skills and down-to-earth, straightforward honesty make her particularly well-suited to serve the communities surrounding St. Luke’s Carbon and Miners Campuses.

She operates primarily at St. Luke’s Carbon Campus and sometimes performs surgery at St. Luke’s Miners Hospital. She is part of a surgical team that responds to emergencies at those hospitals and Geisinger St. Luke’s Hospital.

“This is a unique region with a lot of unmet needs, particularly in the cancer field,” she said. “People in this area are used to traveling to New York, Philadelphia or Bethlehem for cancer care. Our patients appreciate it when we bring services to them.

“Over time, we’ll be able to offer more complex surgical oncology care at the Carbon Campus and throughout the Northern Tier region.”

Raised in the Philadelphia area, Dr. Butash received her undergraduate degree at Lehigh University, her medical degree at Jefferson Medical College and general surgery residency training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Then, she completed a two-year complex general surgical oncology fellowship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo.

“I’m excited to develop the cancer programming in our region so that people can get more of their care closer to home,” she said. “When you have cancer, it’s not just one or two appointments. It can be more like a marathon. Compliance and quality of life improve when patients are not constantly driving in and out of the region to get care.

“Rather than commuting, having services nearby enables them to spend more of their downtime with their families and doing things that bring them joy and quality of life.”

During her training, Dr. Butash found the challenge and complexity of cancer care attractive.

She learned that the components and timing of treatment depend on the type of cancer, how far it has progressed and individual patient characteristics, such as age, medical history, and family history.

“Surgical oncologists and cancer care providers inspired me to go into surgery in general,” she said. “My mentors were surgeons who were excellent communicators, patient advocates and team leaders. That was how I wanted to practice. I was intrigued by both the challenge and art of the surgical management of cancer.”

Dr. Butash also enjoys being part of the cancer team. Often, cancer patients receive multiple types of cancer treatment involving different specialists. The team may include surgical, medical and radiation oncologists and palliative care specialists.

Sometimes specialists, such as urologists, neurologists or gynecologists are involved. These specialists meet to discuss patients’ cases and together develop the best plan of care.

Dr. Butash treats various types of cancers, including cancers of the soft tissue and gastrointestinal tract. Many of her patients have breast cancer, and some patients seek out a woman due to culture-related preferences or just because they believe a woman can relate to their situation.

“As a woman, you understand the role women play within their families and workplaces,” she said. “Women are juggling a lot. After receiving a cancer diagnosis, they also have to figure out how to factor in their treatment, along with their concerns and worries. They appreciate talking to another woman who can identify with that.”

But more important than gender, the patient must find a physician who answers their questions and with whom they feel comfortable.

The more patients understand the importance of different parts of the treatment plan, the more likely they are to adhere to it, she said.

“There’s nothing quite like connecting with a patient and their family, being able to remove their cancer and then continue to take care of them after that,” she said. “By performing a complicated operation, you can remove their cancer and potentially provide a cure for that patient.”