Unique cancer expertise
Where you go for cancer treatment is important and at University of Minnesota Physicians Cancer Care at Fairview, the Masonic Cancer Clinic is one of the best. Our physicians and staff are experienced professionals in cancer and blood disorders, and strive to continuously improve the treatment and care of cancer patients in Minnesota and throughout the five-state region.

A team approach
Top-quality cancer care requires a team approach. At the Masonic Cancer Clinic, a team of cancer experts in hematology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology and many other areas work together to share knowledge, collaborate and consult on each patient's condition. We understand no two people—or two cancers—are alike, so we work together in disease-specific teams that focus on treating your particular disease or condition.

In 2004, Ann was plagued by a dry, hacking cough. When a chest X-ray showed nothing significant, the doctor sent Ann home with an allergy prescription. A week later, a closer look revealed a problem: lung cancer. A surgeon performed an upper right lung lobectomy, which she took in stride and was ready to move on. Unfortunately, that would not be the case.

Eighteen months later, Ann and her husband were planting bushes in the yard. Within two days, her neck and shoulders began to ache. To be safe, she made a doctor appointment. During the exam, her doctor noticed lumps on her collar bone. A biopsy indicated stage 4 lung cancer. “I was horrified,” says Ann, “and I had so much guilt. Because I had been a smoker, I thought, ‘I did this to myself; I did this to my kids.’”

The doctor didn’t offer much hope; instead, he offered palliative care and a cancer clinical trial. Neither assuaged her fears. A chance encounter with a CD about miracles, however, changed Ann’s perspective. Miracles do happen, and she planned to find one. “I stopped crying and started calling around to get a second opinion,” says Ann. “I called everywhere. Finally I tried the University of Minnesota.”

Ann explained her situation and its urgency. The next thing she knew, she had an appointment with Dr. Dudek. It didn’t take long for hope to return. Dr. Dudek brought in a small team of doctors and told her he was confident he could help. “He changed everything; he decided on chemotherapy and a new drug along with radiation. Things my first doctor said wouldn’t work,” she says. “Seven weeks after daily chemotherapy and radiation, all 10 tumors were gone.”

Ann’s experience has made her an ambassador for the care she received at the Masonic Cancer Clinic, from the nurses to the radiologists to the doctors. As a phone buddy for the Lung Cancer Alliance, “I tell everyone that Masonic is the place to go for their best chance to beat cancer,” she says. “I only wish everyone could come here.”